HIST |
of Columbia, South Carolina
Richard Mims Breeland
Richard Mims Breeland COLUMBIA - Richard Mims Breeland , 81, of Columbia, passed away peacefully and comfortably at home on January 2 in the company of his adoring family. Born April 26, 1932, he was the son of Fred Scott Breeland, Sr. and Mildred Mims Breeland. The family will receive friends at Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street chapel, at noon on Tuesday, January 7, 2014 followed by the ceremony at1:00. Interment will follow at Greenlawn Cemetery. Richard, an accomplished songwriter, singer, poet, comedian and limericist, was frequently complimented on his good looks. His son remarked one day that he hoped he would be as good-looking at 81 as his dad; Richard replied, "that's impossible; you don't look that good now!" A lover of golf, he installed a par-three golf course in his yard in Hopkins, where he and his family lived for 30 years. It was here that Richard discovered a love of gardening. His large property allowed for the establishment of many wonderful hobby-inspiring activities. The vast propagation of fruit trees, grape orchards, floral and ornamental plantings and vegetable gardens required the support of his bee collection, exceeding 1,000,000 bees at its height. Richard even found time to maintain a horse farm for his children's enjoyment. He was a member of Church of the Cross Episcopal Church, where he spearheaded the Harvest Hope food drive, and where he contributed to the overall worship experience each week by performing a short stand-up joke, usually appropriate, always funny. An astute businessman and entrepreneur, Richard's long list of accomplishments is highlighted by his establishment of Horse & Garden Ace Hardware in Hopkins, SC where his personality could really shine. He was frequently a feature on the local news and in various papers with colorful tidbits related to current store events. The store was a groundbreaker in modern services, such as adding a drive-up window for customer convenience, acceptance of VISA cards for payment, computerization at point of sale, the phone-in Horse & Garden hotline, and the very popular Chick Day, an annual spring event when folks would line up for a half-mile with cardboard boxes in hand, ready to collect their ten-free -chicks-per-person, accounting for ten thousand chicks each April and May. He successfully navigated his store for almost 4 decades until retiring last year. During his reign at Horse & Garden he created another business in Woodhill Mall called Card World, where he offered over 50,000 greeting cards for sale - a first in the card industry. Richard was also a regular attendee at the S.C. State Fair where he became a lifetime member of The State Agricultural and Mechanical Society of S.C. A graduate of Dreher High School class of 1950, he was a Dark Horseman. Richard's capacious intellect was demonstrated through his memberships in Mensa, the high IQ society comprising the upper 2% of the population, and in Intertel, comprising the upper 1%. He even noted an error in one of their acceptance exams. He was an honor graduate of Insurance Company of North America, and an honor graduate of Officers Candidate School class of 1956 in Fort Riley, Kansas. He completed army basic training at Fort Bragg N.C. where he became an accomplished chef for the officers, leading to a lifelong love of cooking. Prior to Horse & Garden, Richard was a partner in Weathersby-Breeland Insurance Agency, and was associated with Smith Williams and Investors Premium Corporation. He created High Chaparral, an upscale mobile home community of 40 brand-new homes, each with brand-new furniture, in northeast Columbia. Richard was preceded in his final journey by his wife Anne, daughter Shirley, and brother Fred. He leaves behind to cherish their memories of his life: fianc e Bess Gayle; children Susan Luberoff (Doug), Barbara Sharpe (Jim), and Richard, Jr (Julie); grandchildren Virginia Simons (Thornwell), Ben Spell (Abby), Martha Kay McClam (Eric), Dagan Sharpe (Jennifer), Dana Cason Lee (George), Alexa Breeland; and great-grandchildren Wyatt, Wheeler, and Walker Cason, Kaylee and Caden Sharpe. In lieu of flowers, the family request that donations be made to Harvest Hope Food Bank, 2220 Shop Road, Columbia, SC 29201, and, in Richard's words, "a few more kids will not go to bed hungry."
Published in The State on Jan. 5, 2014 [2, 3] |