PAWLEYS ISLAND — Pawleys Island’s coronary heart broke on Jan. 18., when John Henry Whitmire, an adventurous, gregarious and charming unofficial world ambassador for the neighborhood the place he lived and labored most of his life, died at his residence by the Waccamaw River.

He had suffered a coronary heart assault two weeks prior. Regardless that it was a severe medical situation and he’d undergone surgical procedure, his dying shocked family and friends as a result of John Henry appeared omnipresent. He had at all times been there for them and seemingly at all times can be.

It is laborious to consider he is gone.

His Fb web page says all of it, as a whole lot of posts pour in with ache, shock and unabashed love.

“John Henry, we nonetheless had a lot left to do. A lot extra to speak about. I simply can’t consider you are not right here any longer,” Bonnie Beth Baldwin posted.

“You recognize these uncommon individuals who you’re ALWAYS comfortable to see? He was positively one. An absolute treasure,” wrote Heather Lee Begley.

Rooms brightened when he walked in. If charisma was a type of authorized tender, John Henry was loaded. He hardly ever entered a constructing on Pawleys Island the place he wasn’t approached by outdated associates. He by no means left with out attempting to make a brand new one.

A world traveler, who’d made his manner via Europe, Australia, Asia, South America and plenty of locations in between, he had a uncommon expertise for spinning tales that could possibly be mesmerizing, but additionally depart you questioning “did that basically occur?”

Famend chef Louis Osteen as soon as jokingly stated that his pricey pal John Henry believed “it is extra necessary to have an excellent story, than for it to be completely, completely true.”

Anybody who knew him would instantly acknowledge the kernel of fact in that comment.

John Henry, as he was known as from the time of his delivery, noticed life as a sequence of adventures — tales to be informed, to be shared and informed yet again. The extra dramatic, the higher, even when he wanted to make use of a little bit of poetic license honed throughout his years as a inventive writing scholar on the College of South Carolina.

There was the story about him using in a horse-drawn carriage on the grounds of Buckingham Palace, proper previous the startled queen’s window. Or, the time he and a touring companion had been mistaken for terrorists in Eire and put via the wringer by native authorities. He talked of being at Woodstock.

He as soon as pulled out a harmonica on the spur of the second and did a riff that received hundreds of views on YouTube. “Do not consider me? Google it,” he’d say. On this case, there was stable video proof, with greater than 20,000 viewsand counting.

Sure, John Henry’s life was an journey. He embraced daily to the fullest. By way of his journey each on this nation and overseas, he made hundreds of true associates. A lifelong bachelor, he confirmed extraordinary dedication to his brothers, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles. He enmeshed himself within the Pawleys Island neighborhood, including to its lore and attract. He skied a number of the world’s premier slopes and sailed within the ocean. He even ran for Congress. He purchased treasured stones and formed them into treasured items of bijou.

A lot of his associates first encountered him at his retailer, Whitmire’s Wonderful Jewellery. They appreciated his artistry, which emphasised coastal themes.

“Pawleys Island won’t ever be the identical with out you, John Henry Whitmire. I’ve recognized you for so long as I can bear in mind, and also you had been such a selfless and type man,” Lindsey Hart Kirby stated in a Fb put up. “I’ve so many stunning items of your jewellery from all of my boys that I really like a lot. You had been so proficient.”

His generosity was legendary. He would complain of being broke, however then purchase dinner for a whole desk. He at all times was able to restore somebody’s treasured necklace, or throw an impromptu meal for dozens of associates or relations. John Henry paid devoted consideration over many a long time to his oldest brother, Woodrow Wilson “Whit” Whitmire, who lived in a gaggle residence for many of his grownup life.

John Henry was born in a Greenville hospital on Dec. 28, 1951, to Woodrow and Arla Mae Piephoff Whitmire. He grew up in Easley, and attended and performed soccer at Easley Excessive College earlier than getting into the College of South Carolina and majoring in English. But it surely additionally was whereas he was at USC that John Henry took a category in jewellery making.

After leaving Columbia, John Henry began working for a jewellery store contained in the Homosexual Dolphin in Myrtle Seaside after which was requested to open a brand new location in North Myrtle Seaside. There, he was joined by his childhood pal, John White.

“On the finish of the season, the store received robbed,” White remembers. “We misplaced a bunch of money and misplaced many of the jewellery stock. It actually set us again. It was a hungry fall and winter.”

However in an indication of his resourcefulness, John Henry took his craft on the street, doing sufficient jewellery reveals to get via the winter.

“What I noticed from that was his resilience and generosity throughout these instances,” White stated. “Regardless that we had little or no stuff, if we met somebody who had much less, he would take them in. He made certain they’d one thing to eat on the best way out.”

These laborious instances, although, ultimately led John Henry to the place he cherished, Pawleys Island, the place his jewellery retailer — then known as October Silver — was one of many first tenants on the Hammock Retailers.

“I felt like John Henry was a mentor for me in so some ways,” White says. “Good and naughty and adventurous. He repeatedly taught me how you can stay life to the fullest, recuperate from the laborious knocks and love folks unconditionally. He was a real character within the Southern sense. He was a dwelling legend.”

John Henry was predeceased by his mother and father, and by his step-mother, Elizabeth Jones “Lib” Whitmire and by his brother, Whit.

He’s survived by his brother Ralph Clayton “Clay” Whitmire, and his spouse Lynn, of Indianapolis, Indiana. He is also survived by his nephews, Andrew Whitmire and his spouse Leah, and Matthew Whitmire his spouse, Daphne, by great-nieces Kate and Kendall Whitmire and great-nephew Will Whitmire, in addition to 4 godchildren, many loving cousins, youngsters of cousins and grandchildren of cousins.

A memorial service can be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, at Holy Cross Religion Memorial Episcopal Church in Pawleys Island, adopted by a celebration of life at Frank’s Restaurant. In lieu of flowers, the household suggests following the lead of John Henry, who was a giver in all points of life. Honor him by giving to your favourite charity or to the subsequent one who crosses your path.

Printed by The Sentinel-Progress from Jan. 26 to Jan. 27, 2023.