Josiah (Bryan) Loadholt Obituary (2018)

After a long happy life, Josiah Bryan Loadholt, age 78, of Sunset Blvd., Beaufort SC, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones and friends on April 2nd, 2018. Bryan was a loving father, husband, friend to all, and longtime Beaufort resident and retired owner of Beaufort Furniture Company. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, April 4, 2018 from 5-7pm at Anderson Funeral Home. A funeral service will be held at The Baptist Church of Beaufort on Thursday April 5th 2018 at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to The Baptist Church of Beaufort. Bryan was born in the family home on December 8, 1939, near Fairfax, SC . He was the youngest of three sons of the late Bertna Bryan and John Nix Loadholt. His survivors include his precious wife of 35 years, JoNell "Jo" Loadholt who was his Sunshine throughout their many years of sharing joy and memories. Together they raised three daughters , Melissa (Tim) Wheeler of Savannah, Courtney Loadholt (Kane Sanders) of Charleston, and Sommer Brown (Scott Kirk) of Flowery Branch, GA. He will also be missed by his five grandsons , AJ Shacklett, Karsen and Tanner Brown, Chris and Ryan Wheeler, longtime friends Bill and Billie Massalon and his brother Nix (Peggy) Loadholt of Allendale. He was predeceased by brother Bob (Lib) Loadholt of Fairfax. Bryan was a man of many talents, and especially known for his story telling (with hysterical character impersonations), commitment to his family, hospitality, and generosity. He hosted many gatherings of family and friends at his home on Distant Island which were highlighted by his humor and good cheer. Regrettably, he was the last survivor of a huge circle of friends including the "Lunch Bunch" who met regularly at the Steamer Restaurant for two decades. He was also a talented golfer, having missed a hole-in-one by only 4 inches. After being a member of the first graduating class of the newly consolidated Allendale-Fairfax High School in 1957, he attended Clemson College for 2 years which cemented his lifelong love of the Clemson Tigers, including being at the 1981 Orange Bowl Championship game, hundreds of games throughout the years, and reliving the National Championship experience 35 years later, this time from his living room. Bryan's enterprising business career began at 19 by being the youngest-ever manager of a Howard Johnson's Restaurant in Augusta, GA. He served and befriended many of the greats of golf during the Masters Tournaments in the 1960's, including Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. During this time, he also served in the Army National Guard. In 1969, Bryan began his 40-year adventure into retail furniture sales in a store in Denmark, SC, and then bought a small store called the Furniture Mart on Boundary Street in Beaufort. That store became Beaufort Furniture and outgrew the walls in 6 short years. Bryan built the large store on Robert Smalls Parkway that served thousands of Beaufort County and Hilton Head residents from 1976 until his retirement in 2010. The new store resulted in more than increased sales and satisfied customers. It is also where Bryan met the love of his life, Jo. They married and enjoyed over 35 years together as an inseparable couple. They treasured every day together which were concluded by watching beautiful sunsets over the Beaufort River and skyline while sipping wine and holding hands. Bryan once said his job on Earth was to build a business so he could care for his family. He exceeded those dreams by far. He will be missed by many, but his memories and stories will last forever.