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Did he marry Ruth Champion? If so, then the following obituary is his son’s obituary.
James Henry Gasque
James Henry Gasque COLUMBIA - James Henry Gasque died peacefully at his home on Saturday, November 1, 2014 following an illness of several months' duration. He is survived by his beloved wife, Betty Rader Gasque, and mourned by his family and by generations of students and their parents in Columbia. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, November 4th at 4:00 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. Visitation will be held on Monday, November 3rd at Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. A native of Columbia, Mr. Gasque was born April 13, 1937, the son of the late James Carroll Gasque and Ruth Champion Gasque. His father owned and operated a drugstore in Shandon, which during World War II was not only a resource for pharmaceutical needs but also such things as telegraph messages, overseas packages, and the social pleasures of a drug store soda counter. Mr. Gasque attended the public schools of Columbia, graduating from Dreher High School in 1955. At the University of South Carolina he majored in English, graduating with a BA in 1959. In 1962 he returned to his alma mater as a member of the English department at Dreher. In his written memoir, From Carolina Soil, he recalled that during his first year at Dreher he was mistaken for a student without a hall pass by the formidable English teacher Mrs. Kitty Thomas, whom Mr. Gasque considered a role model in his own vocation. In 1973 Mr. Gasque left Dreher to join the faculty of Heathwood Hall Episcopal School. Heathwood was then located on the old Heath estate between Devine Street and Kilbourne Road, and it was in the early stages of its development into the outstanding high school it eventually became. Mr. Gasque's decision to join Heathwood set him on the path to fulfilling his deepest sense of calling. For the next four decades Mr. Gasque presided over "Room 17," a classroom relocated several times as the school's campus grew. The subject matter was English, but the lessons ranged far and wide. Charles Dickens and C. S. Lewis vied for time with the beauty of South Carolina gardens, especially the one he and Betty cultivated at their home, or a favorite recipe, a work of art, or hymn tune from the Episcopal hymnal. Mr. Gasque's understanding of English struck a balance between the creativity of an aspiring author and the precise demands of accurate grammar. All of that was set in the context of one who cared even more for his students than for the subject he taught. His adult seminars were popular offerings in the adult education program of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, of which he was a communicant. At Trinity he oversaw the ministry of acolytes for a number of years. His teaching years were honored widely and with genuine enthusiasm. In 1979 he was elected to honorary membership in the Associated Alumni of the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee. Columbia Mayor (and Dreher alumnus) Robert Coble proclaimed April 13, 2002 as James Henry Gasque Day in the city. The following year he was chosen upper school teacher of the year by the S.C. Independent School Association. This honor was amplified by a concurrent resolution from the S. C. House of Representatives, noting his love for education and commitment to meeting the needs of his students. Governor Mark Sanford conferred on him the Order of the Palmetto on April 17, 2010. That year he was interviewed on CNN by his former student, Kathleen Parker, who praised him for changing her life "in a flicker of light." Still, among the most cherished accolades he received were his selection at Heathwood Hall as a member of the Order of the Tartan, the school's service society, and his subsequent designation as a recipient of the Earl H. Devanny Award for significant contributions to Heathwood's development. During the time of his illness Mr. Gasque has received extraordinary care from Kaye James and Maggie Lewis of Hospice Care of Tri-County, and from the caregivers from Solutions for Living at Home, a ministry of the S. C. Episcopal Home at Still Hopes. He also received the constant companionship and encouragement of his beloved rescue dog, Sally. Those who wish to offer memorials are encouraged to consider Heathwood Hall or the Trinity Foundation of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. Please sign the online guestbook at www.dunbarfuneralhomedevine.com.
[Postion 1 Keyword: hospice], [Position 1 Keyword: hospice]
Published in The State on Nov. 3, 2014 [4] |
d. 1904, Centenary, Marion County, South Carolina 