Sally Dunbar Atwater

Washington, D.C. - Sally Dunbar Atwater was born April 29, 1951 in Union, South Carolina and passed away on March 9, 2021 surrounded by her three loving daughters at her home in Washington, DC following a three-year long battle with Stage IV Lung Cancer. She was the daughter of the late Theodosia Wilson Dunbar and Means Curtis Dunbar and the wife of the late Harvey LeRoy “Lee” Atwater, the GOP strategist and former Republican National Committee chairman.

Sally was a committed educator from a young age. She earned her Bachelor’s in Elementary and Special Education from Winthrop University and continued her studies, completing her Master’s degree in Special Education there while simultaneously working as a special needs teacher. In 1978, Sally and Lee Atwater wed in her hometown of Union, SC.

In 1990, Sally’s husband Lee was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor of which he succumbed to in 1991. Sally was left to raise her three girls, Sara Lee (10 Y/O), Ashley Page (5 Y/0), and Sally T. (11 M/O) by herself. She was able get through the toughest years relying on her family, friends, and unwavering faith in the Lord.

After raising her three girls, she served under President George W. Bush as his executive director for the Committee for the People with Intellectual Disabilities which she successfully lobbied to be renamed from its former title The President's Committee for People with Mental Retardation. She returned to South Carolina from Washington in 2012 where she worked as a special education teacher and later ran for State Superintendent of Education, a race which she narrowly lost.

Mrs. Atwater was an active member of the Capitol City Republican Women’s Club and the Richland County Republican Party. She also served as an at-large delegate to the Republican National Convention from South Carolina in 2016. She volunteered regularly doing door to door campaign work for the Republican party and acted as a poll watcher for the Charleston County Republican party on election day in 2016.

Mrs. Atwater was committed and beloved member of her country, community and family.

She will be remembered with great love by her three daughters, Sara Lee Atwater (Dieter De Vlieghere), Ashley Atwater Vazana (Nis Vazana), and Sally Atwater McLeod (Rob McLeod); her brother, Curtis Dunbar (Sonja Dunbar); grandchildren, Evelyn, Arthur, Aviv and a forthcoming grandson arrival in April; mother-in-law, Toddy Atwater; and sister-in-law, Anne King (Ken King). She was predeceased in death by her husband, Harvey LeRoy “Lee” Atwater.

A private graveside service will be held. There will be a livestream of the service starting at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 13, 2021 on Dunbar Funeral Home – Devine’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/DunbarDevine Active pallbearers will be Curtis Dunbar, Daniel Dunbar, Chris King, Ken King, Rob McLeod, and Nis Vazana.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Lung Cancer Association in honor of Sally Atwater using the following link: https://action.lung.org/site/TR/Events/General?pg=fund&fr_id=1080&pxfid=161839

Memories may be shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com