Charles "Charlie" Horton

John Charles “Charlie” Horton died peacefully at his home in Bluffton, South Carolina on May 29th, 2022, at 74 years old after a years-long battle with breast cancer.

Born and bred in Kershaw, he was the son of the late Andrew Jackson “Jack” Horton Sr. and Ann Adams Horton, and brother of the late Andrew Jackson “Jack” Horton Jr. » and his late wife Anne Horton.

“Charlie” is survived by his wife of 52 years Sheryl Reeves Horton; his sister Anna Horton Sigmon and her husband, Tim and his son Andrew Braxton Horton and his wife, Nicole; as well an extensive list of beloved nieces, nephews, and friends.

A Clemson University graduate and US Army veteran, he also attended Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business and earned a law degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

A frequent traveler and resident of many cities and states, “Charlie” finally made his way back to South Carolina in 2013, to retire in his beloved Low country. Of course, “Charlie” being “Charlie”, his version of a quiet, cancer-stricken retirement consisted of completely rebuilding a house from studs to glory.

“Charlie” had a lifelong career in building materials, paper, and packaging businesses, working his way up from a summer job at a plywood mill to Corporate Credit Manager of Smurfit-Stone Container, at the time one of the largest packaging companies in the world.

“Charlie” was known for many things. He was a lifelong collector of artifacts, arrowheads, and fossils, as well as an avid student of South Carolina history. With a smile that could light up a room, he had a great enthusiasm for life in general. A perennial optimist, he took his cancer diagnosis as more of a challenge than an ailment. “Charlie” could build or fix anything and everything and had been able to do so since he was a child. He was an avid storyteller, most of which are not suitable for print in a family newspaper. And yes, they were all true.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date in Kershaw, S.C. Burial will be in the Kershaw City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, we ask you to make a donation to The American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org) or The South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust (http://scbattlegroundtrust.org/donate.html).

Arrangements are under the care of Baker Funeral Home, Kershaw, S.C.