Month: March 2020

Toby R. Kirkland, 44, chief of staff of Clemson University’s Youth Learning Institute, died Thursday, March 19, 2020.

He was employed by Clemson for 13 years.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Stacy; his sons, Creed and Case, and his mother and father, Don and Rhonda Kirkland. He also is survived by his sister, Crystal Kirkland Hightower (Torrey) of Mount Pleasant; his in-laws, Ben and Lynn Ivey of Union; his brother-in-law, Mark Ivey (Kelly) of Union, and five nephews, Reid Hightower, Ross Hightower, Kadin Ivey (Katie Beth), Creighton Ivey and Benton Ivey.

A memorial service was held March 23 in Lexington.

His full obituary is published online.

Tyrus Samuel Land, 77, a retired master painter for Facilities, died Tuesday, March 3, 2020. He worked for Clemson University 24 years until 2005.

He is survived by his wife, Jane Irene Swaney Land; sons Jeffrey Tyrus Land and Adam Land (Ashley), both of Pendleton, Christopher Lamar Land (Mary Elizabeth) of Abbeville and Tyrus Samuel Land Jr. (Michelle) of Anderson; daughter, Katy Land Rourk (Carl) of Huntsville, Alabama; brothers, Bob, Travis and Terrel Land, all of Seneca; sisters Jean Myers of Tampa, Florida, Bonnie Brewer of Clemson, Rachel Hicks, Marian McClure and Karen Coker, all of Seneca; grandchildren Emma and Henry Rourk, Zachary, Olivia, Mason, and Manse Land, and Hunter Land and Kaitlyn Rhodes.

Services were held March 6, 2020 at Fant’s Grove Baptist Church, and he was buried in the church cemetery.

His full obituary with memorial information is posted online.

Stephen Albert Lewis, professor emeritus of plant pathology and physiology and department chair, died Sunday, March 1, 2020.

Lewis retired from Clemson University in 2006 after 33 years. He was the last chair of the plant pathology and physiology department before it merged into entomology, soils and plant sciences.

Lewis earned a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University, master’s from Rutgers University and Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. He was a celebrated soybean researcher and a past president of the Society of Nematologists. He also was elected a Fellow of the society.

He is survived by his wife, Julie Stewart Lewis; two daughters, Stephanie Shelton (Roger) of Greenville and Joanna Mitchell of Houston, Texas; a son, Michael Stewart Lewis of Redding, Connecticut; a sister, Betty St. Cyr of Virginia; a brother, Robert Lewis of Six Mile; and two grandchildren, Roger Blake Shelton and Riley Stuart Mitchell.

The funeral will be at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, March 8, at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 193 Old Greenville Highway, Clemson. There will be a reception in the parrish hall beginning at 2:30 p.m.

His full obituary and tribute page are posted online.

Larry Dwayne Blanc, 71, a computer programmer in CCIT, died Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020.

He had been employed by Clemson since April 2016.

Blanc is survived by his wife, Judy Sathre Blanc; two daughters, Hannah Rochelle Blanc (Shaina Nelson) and Melanie Lynette Blanc (Matthew Glover); a brother, Gerald Blanc; and a sister, Mary Ann Scarlett.

The family will host a memorial service in Toledo, Ohio at a later date.

See the full obituary online.