Flynn Thomas Harrell

COLUMBIA Flynn Thomas Harrell died Thursday, July 8, 2021 at Still Hopes Retirement Community. Born in Columbia on June 25, 1934, he was the son of the late Fred Thomas and Irene Wise Harrell. A 1956 graduate of the University of South Carolina, he was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma and Omicron Delta Kappa and received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award. He received honorary degrees from Charleston Southern University and Furman University.

He served two years in the U.S. Army, 21 years as the first business/financial officer of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, and 11 years as an Executive Assistant to Attorney General Travis Medlock. He served on the Board of Southern Mutual Church Insurance Company for many years.

Throughout his life, Flynn was an active churchman. As a Presbyterian, he was an elder at Shandon Presbyterian Church and moderator of Trinity Presbytery. Earlier as a Baptist, he was a deacon and was elected president of the S.C. Baptist Convention. He was a frequent lay speaker on Sundays to churches across the state and later spoke to schools and civic groups on religious liberty. He was a board member of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.

Flynn once said that beyond his family and church, he devoted himself primarily to three causes: religious liberty, ethics, and race relations.

He served on the City of Columbia Planning Commission and was appointed by Gov. Riley to chair his Task Force on Critical Human Needs, by Gov. Hodges to serve on the State Ethics Commission, and by Gov. Haley to serve on the Ethics Reform Commission.

Flynn served on the Board of Visitors of the Wake Forest University Divinity School and Charleston Southern University. He served twice as president of the Luncheon Club of Columbia and received the Taylor/Rubin Humanitarian of the Year award as well as the Ecumenism Award of the Christian Action Council.

Always interested in history and historical preservation, he had been president of both the Southern Baptist and the S.C. Baptist Historical Societies and the University of South Caroliniana Society. He was also a former member of the Palmetto Club.

Surviving are his wife of 57 years, Anne Turner Harrell; daughter, Elizabeth “Beth” Harrell Abel (Dr. Gary S. Abel) of Blacksburg, VA; son and daughter-in-law, Flynn Thomas Harrell, Jr. (Christina Littlefield) of Spartanburg, S.C.; grandchildren, William Flynn Abel, Elizabeth Emerson Abel, Kathryn Anne Abel, Sara Christina Harrell, and Lauren Ruth Harrell; brother-in-law, William Turner (Selwyn) of Myrtle Beach, S.C.

A memorial service for Mr. Harrell will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, July 12, 2021 at Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel. There will be a private graveside service in Greenlawn Memorial Park.

Deepest gratitude is expressed to the caring staff at Still Hopes.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorials be made to Shandon Presbyterian Church, 607 Woodrow Street, Columbia 29205 or to USC Libraries for the Flynn Harrell Collection (B11406) on the Separation of Church and State, 1322 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208.

Memories may be shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com.