Joseph Harris “Joe” BRUNSON, Sr.^{[1, 2]}

1939 - 2004  (64 years)

• Name	Joseph Harris “Joe” BRUNSON  [3, 4, 5]
  Suffix	Sr.
  Birth	6 Apr 1939	Clarendon County, South Carolina   [3, 6, 7]
  Gender	Male
  Education	He graduated from Summerton High School and attended Clemson University.
  HIST	He excelled and graduated from the FBI Academy. His true loves were playing with his grandson, golfing and fishing. RET. POLICE CHIEFJOSEPH H. BRUNSON Sr. Retired Sumter Police Chief Joseph Harris Brunson Sr., 64, husband of Pat Shorter Brunson, died Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2004, at Palmetto Richland Memorial Hospital. Born in Clarendon County, he was a son of the late Clifton C. Brunson and the late Madeline Clark Brunson. He was retired from the Sumter Police Department after 30 years of service, having worked his way through the ranks to the position of chief. He excelled and graduated from the FBI Academy, graduated from Summerton High School and attended Clemson University. He was a faithful member of Northside Baptist Church and was a member of the Rev. Jimmy Holley's Sunday School class. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. His true loves were playing with his grandsons, golfing and fishing. Survivors besides his wife include a son, Joseph Harris "Joey" Brunson Jr. and his wife, Annette, of Sumter; a daughter, Donna B. Moore and her husband, Clint, of Sumter; three grandsons, Christopher Moore, Brunson Moore and Joseph Harris Brunson III; a sister, Cliford Ann Schmidt of Sumter; three brothers, Bill Brunson, Don Brunson and Cliff Brunson, all of Summerton; and a number of nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today in Northside Memorial Baptist Church with the Rev. Jimmy Holley officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen Memorial Park. Pallbearers will be Kenneth Porter Jr., David Porter, Tripp Shorter, Steven Felder Jr., Cag Brunson and Michael Schmidt. Past and present law enforcement officers will serve as honorary pallbearers. The family will receive friends at the home. Memorials may be made to Northside Memorial Baptist Church, 1004 N. Main St., Sumter, SC 29150 or to a charity of one's choice. Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium of Sumter is in charge of arrangements. Posted in Obits on Sunday, February 8, 2004  [3]
  Occupation	Retired Sumter Police Chief, Sumter, South Carolina; after 30 years of service, having worked his way through the ranks to the position of chief  [3, 8]
  Religion	He was a faithful member of Northside Baptist Church and was a member of the Rev. Jimmy Holley’s Sunday School class.  [3]
  _UID	FDADAAC9E78C462BB77A9199348C5CD44CFC
  Death	4 Feb 2004	Palmetto Richland Memorial Hospital, Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina
  Burial	8 Feb 2004	Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery, Sumter, Sumter County, South Carolina   [3, 8]
  	Elmore-Cannon-Stephens Funeral Home and Crematorium, Sumter, South Carolina
  Person ID	I104257	Singleton and Related Families
  Last Modified	13 Jul 2023

  
  

  Father	Charles Clifton BRUNSON,   b. 13 Aug 1911, Clarendon County, South Carolina d. 21 Sep 1986 (Age 75 years)
  Mother	Madeline CLARK,   b. 26 Aug 1914, Clarendon County, South Carolina d. Bef 14 Mar 2022 (Age < 107 years)
  Marriage	20 Dec 1930  [7]
  _UID	C79851EE2EAF4417ACFE2FAB50AE3655E3CE
  _UID	C79851EE2EAF4417ACFE2FAB50AE3655E3CE
  Family ID	F71434	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Patricia Ann “Pat” SHORTER,   b. 8 Jan 1942, Manning, Clarendon Country, South Carolina d. 10 Jul 2023, at the home of her son, (Sumter, Sumter County, South Carolina (Age 81 years)
  _UID	E410B73E9D7B410AAB2631890990EA2B85E9
  _UID	E410B73E9D7B410AAB2631890990EA2B85E9
  Children	1. Living   2. Living
  Family ID	F72171	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	23 Mar 2026

  
  

• Notes

  Residents remembered retired Sumter Police Chief Joe Brunson Sr. as a dedicated law enforcement officer and amiable man Friday. ¶ Brunson, 64, died Wednesday in a Columbia-area hospital. ¶ A law enforcement officer for 30 years, Brunson climbed the law enforcement hierarchy before being appointed as chief in 1984 after the retirement of Lee Griffin. He served as chief until 1990. ¶ “Joe was a career police officer and worked himself up through the ranks.” City Manager Talmadge Tobias said. ¶ Tobias served as assistant city manager during most of Brunson’s tenure as chief before becoming city manager six months before Brunson’s retirement. ¶ “Joe served the community very well,” he said. ¶ Les Griffin, police chief for 16 years before Brunson, remembered his fellow officer as a friend, coworker and later fellow grandparent. ¶ “We worked together on the police force a good many years,” Griffin said. “Joe was a very capable police officer, a capable leader and finally a very capable police chief.” ¶ Describing Brunson as a quiet and unassuming man, Griffin said he treated others with respect. ¶ “I really never heard anybody say anything bad about him,” he said. “He’ll certainly be missed by his family and friends.” ¶ Later in life, when both the men had retired from lengthy careers in blue, they used to meet in front of a school, both waiting for their grandchildren. ¶ “He and I used to meet every Wednesday when we went to pick up our grandkids at Millwood (Elementary) School,” Griffin said. ¶ They used to reminisce while standing and waiting, he said. ¶ “Anytime two retired police officers get together they can find a lot to talk about,” he said. ¶ Horace Curtis, former city manager, promoted Brunson to chief and remembered him as an effective law enforcement officer. ¶ “He did a good job as city police chief,” he said. “He was a nice, fair-minded person that treated everyone with respect.” ¶ Present Police Chief Patty Patterson never worked with Brunson but met him in his retirement. ¶ “He’s always been a very nice man,” she said. Article by Jon Fox [9]

  
  

• Sources

  [S29708] Clifford Ann Brunson Schmidt. [S31031] Patricia Shorter Brunson. [S3086] Ret. Police Chief Joseph H. Brunson Sr. [S9361] Cliff C. Brunson. [S20016] C. B. Shorter Jr. [S85] page 58. [S20163] . [S3084] Joseph H. Brunson. [S3087] Joe Brunson Sr. Former Sumter Police Chief remembered as respected lawman.