In Memoriam: Influential people Spartanburg County lost in 2022
In 2022, Spartanburg County lost philanthropists, educators and business leaders who all made Spartanburg a better place to live and work.
They touched Spartanburg County, the state of South Carolina – and beyond – with their dedication, creativity and humanity.
The Herald-Journal looks back at their lives and legacies.
Here are some of their stories.
John Townsend “Jay” Wakefield
John Townsend “Jay” Wakefield, 59, died at home on Tuesday, March 15, 2022.
Born Aug. 7, 1962, in Spartanburg, he was the son of the late John William Wakefield, Jr. and Elizabeth “Bette” Wakefield. He was a third-generation General Motors dealer, following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, and serving as president of Wakefield Automotive since 1993.
Wakefield began working in the family dealership at a young age, washing and detailing cars. As a teenager, he worked summers in the parts and service departments. He graduated from Spartanburg Day School in 1980, where he was a member of the mighty Griffins’ football and basketball teams. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Sewanee, The University of the South. After college, he worked briefly in Washington, D.C. as a staff member for U.S. Rep. Carroll Campbell.
Wakefield received a master's degree from the University of South Carolina and returned home to Spartanburg in 1985 to work alongside his father. Over the years he has operated multiple automotive franchises including Buick, Pontiac, GMC, Cadillac, and Suzuki. In 2016-17, he served as president of the South Carolina Automobile Dealers Association, where he was first elected as a director of the Palmetto District in 1997.
Thomas Moore Craig Jr.
Thomas Moore Craig Jr., 77, retired educator, former legislator, and community volunteer, of Cragmoor Farms, Roebuck, died Thursday, June 2, 2022, at Spartanburg Medical Center.
He worked for Spartanburg District Seven schools for 30 years as a history teacher, administrator (principal of Jesse Boyd Elementary School), and director of Guidance at Spartanburg High School. He served on numerous committees including the SC Governor’s School Advisory Committee.
Craig was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1972 at age 27, serving on the Education Committee and as secretary of the Spartanburg County Legislative Delegation.
At Walnut Grove Plantation, his family’s original home in Spartanburg County, he served as a committee member, volunteer, and fundraiser. Craig’s parents gave Walnut Grove for restoration to the Historical Association in the early 1960s. Craig and his sister, Susan Craig Murphy, have since given an additional 50 adjacent acres to the Plantation.
Mike Kohler
John Michael "Mike" Kohler Jr., a community leader and great-grandson of Kohler Company's founder, died Saturday, June 25. He was 87.
He was the longtime Spartanburg plant manager and is being remembered as someone who loved Spartanburg and spent time making it a better place to live.
Mike Kohler diesJohn Michael 'Mike' Kohler, longtime Spartanburg businessman and public servant, dies
Kohler was well-known for his involvement in Spartanburg community affairs, having served as president of the Spartanburg Art Museum; the Palmetto Council of Boy Scouts of America and the United Way of the Upstate.
He was twice named chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Spartanburg and served as president of the Rotary Club of Spartanburg.
Today, Kohler Company is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies comprised of more than 40,000 employees with more than 50 manufacturing locations worldwide.
Phyllis Buchheit DeLapp
Phyllis Buchheit DeLapp, age 86, a community leader, philanthropist and businesswoman, died Saturday, July 9, 2022.
DeLapp was born in Wilmington, North Carolina on July 23, 1935, to Philip A. Buchheit and Laurene Atchison Buchheit.
Her father, Philip Buchheit, a businessman and advertising manager, was employed with the Macon Telegraph & News, they purchased the company now known as The Spartanburg Herald Journal. He was then assigned to Spartanburg, where he was named publisher of The Spartanburg Herald Journal. Soon thereafter, he decided to start his own company, Mid-South Management, that bought small daily and large weekly newspapers.
Upon their father’s death, DeLapp and her brother, Bill, continued the family’s success for Mid-South Management, which consisted of 17 newspapers and approximately 500 employees.
She worked her entire life, starting out as a journalist writing obituaries in her 20s, and then as a foreign correspondent for the Spartanburg Herald Journal while her first husband was stationed in Japan with the Marine Corps. She wrote feature stories on everything from how to do Japanese flower arranging to Japanese cooking.
Corry W. Oakes
Corry W. Oakes III, co-founder and CEO of Spartanburg-based OTO Development and former chairman of the Wofford College Board of Trustees, is being remembered as a successful businessman and family man who poured his heart into making Spartanburg a better place.
"Corry was a beloved leader and a dear friend to so many in our community and our industry," Todd Turner, co-founder and vice president of real estate at OTO Development, said in a statement. "His impact on our lives is as immeasurable as the grief we feel and the love for him and his family."
Cory OakesCorry Oakes III of OTO Development dies at 55. Spartanburg mourns loss of 'industry titan'
Glover Leroy Smiley, Jr.
Glover Smiley, the head track and field coach at Spartanburg High School from 1993 to 2018, died Sept. 19, 2020, at the age of 68, according to a statement from Spartanburg School District Seven.
Smiley will be remembered for much more than his coaching accolades – which were numerous. The longtime coach was the first Black head coach of any varsity program at Spartanburg High School and left an impact on every person he encountered.
Glover Smiley dies at age 68Remembering the legendary Spartanburg High track and field coach
Over his years as coach at Spartanburg, Smiley coached 45 All-Americans and five national champions and amassed an incredible 807-58 record at the high school level. Smiley competed collegiately as a track and field athlete at West Virginia State and coached at the school as well. He joined Spartanburg High's staff in 1990 and elevated to the role of head coach in 1993.
Smiley officially retired from District 7 in 2020 but remained involved in numerous ways since that time.
Peter Cooper
Peter Cooper's influence can be felt in the history of Spartanburg's music community. From "Singing Billy" Walker to The Marshall Tucker Band, he was a leading authority on their music.
Cooper, who considered himself a Spartanburg native, and was a Wofford College graduate and a country music journalist, died on Dec. 6 in Nashville, Tennessee. He was 52.
Peter Cooper made lasting impactSpartanburg native remembered
In 1996, he wrote "Hub City Music Makers: One Southern Town's Popular Music History" which was published by Hub City Press. It was the second book published by Hub City Press. He also worked with Hub City Press to develop the Spartanburg Music Trail honoring musicians from Spartanburg who have made a national or international impact in the world of music. The Spartanburg Convention & Visitors Bureau, City of Spartanburg, and the Spartanburg Philharmonic also helped with the project.
He left Spartanburg in 2000 and moved to Nashville. He worked at The Tennessean. Cooper was nominated for a Grammy, and met and performed with several country music stars.
Before his death, Cooper was working as senior director, producer and writer at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.
From the Nashville Tennesseean Peter Cooper, acclaimed country music journalist and musician, dies at 52
Melissa Robinson Parris
Melissa Robinson Parris, 54, of Spartanburg, died Monday, Dec. 12, 2022, at Spartanburg Regional Hospice Home. Born May 15, 1968, in Spartanburg, she was the daughter of Richard Long and Bertice Teague Robinson of Roebuck.
She was a first-grade teacher for 30 years, serving Woodland Heights Elementary School for 25 years after beginning her career at Jesse Boyd Elementary. Parris was the 2005 Spartanburg County School District Six Teacher of the Year. She earned her bachelor’s in Mathematics as well as a master’s in Elementary Education from Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
A lifelong member of Central United Methodist Church, Parris was a member of the handbell choir, taught Children’s Sunday School, and was a member of the Shephard Sunday School Class. For several years, she was a Girl Scout Troop Leader for her daughters’ troop which also met at Central.
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: In Memoriam: Influential people Spartanburg County lost in 2022
