Oscar Heyward Bellamy, Jr. Obituary (2019)

Oscar Heyward Bellamy, Jr. of Beaufort, SC, passed away from natural causes on Nov. 9, 2019. He was 97. Born in Florence, SC on April 13, 1922, to Oscar Heyward Bellamy and Frostie Bryan Bellamy, Heyward attended Wofford, but joined the US Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Heyward served as a radio operator on the Fletcher-class destroyer USS Converse in the Pacific throughout the war, surviving a night-time engagement off Rabaul on Nov. 16-17, 1943, kamikaze attacks on Dec. 21, 1944, near Bougainville, and a typhoon. The Converse and its crew were awarded a Presidential unit citation and 11 battle stars for service during the war. After the Japanese surrender, Heyward returned to SC. He married Catherine Brislan Revel on Nov. 10, 1945, with whom he had four children, Hank, Revel, Mark and Melissa. The GI Bill took him to then Clemson College in 1946, from which he graduated with an honors degree in electrical engineering in 1949. He was a graduate instructor at Clemson until 1952 when he was recruited by T.C. Heyward & Company of Charlotte, NC, which sold power equipment to utilities that powered the post-WWII economic boom. He spent his entire life with his wife, "Kitty," an accomplished landscape painter. He was a member of the Church of the Holy Comforter where he served as a Sunday school teacher, vestry member and vestry warden. He was generous in giving and as an Episcopalian he foremost supported Thompson's Children's Home throughout his life. Kitty died in 2010, after which Heyward moved to Beaufort, SC and became a member of the Parish Church of St. Helena. He was an avid Clemson football fan and loved a good cigar. However, Heyward was a renaissance man with high-competence in many interests including growing roses, collecting fine-wines, breadmaking, cake making, canning, wood carving, writing poetry and pistol shooting competitions. He left the world surrounded by his loving family, including his children, eight grandchildren, nine great grandchildren, and a host of friends. Dad chose to reach out in love to everyone he met and particularly, in his later years, those who took care of him and otherwise shared his home in assisted living. That is why, in part, so many grew to love him. He reaped the love he had sown in others. Dad made good choices. Thanks, Dad! The funeral service will be held on Monday, November 25 at 1:00 PM at the Parish Church of St. Helena followed by a reception at the Retreat at Lady's Island. In lieu of flowers please contribute to Thompson (Thompson's Children's Home) at https://www.thompsoncff.org.