By Betsy Finklea
David Earl Shelley was named the Latta Rotary Club Citizen of the Year.
Latta Rotary Club member Marsden Cox said the award is given for service to the Latta community and said usually the recipients have spent years doing what they do.
After brief remarks, Cox announced that this year’s winner was David Earl Shelley. Shelley is a graduate of Latta High School and the University of South Carolina. He served as the pharmacist in Latta for many years. He is a member of Latta United Methodist Church, where he has been active in the Men’s Sunday School Class. He is a member of the Dalcho Masonic Lodge and the Latta Rotary Club. Shelley is a past-president of the Latta Revitalization Commission, where he started the Christmas Home Tour and was instrumental in getting the historic street signs. He also took over the responsibility of changing the flags at the Veterans Park. He and his wife, Jeannie, have three children- Monica, Sarah, and Kirby. He loves to travel and has been to all seven continents. He is an avid reader, loves horses, is a good cook, and a good landscaper.
Several people spoke about Shelley after Cox’s remarks.
Walt Brown, who has known Shelley for 45 years, said he and Shelley had done a great deal together from working the cucumber market in college, to battling it out on the tennis court, and traveling. He said Shelley was one of a kind and was “truly one of Latta’s finest.” One of the things that they enjoy doing is hunting, and Brown said Shelley’s nickname is “Killer Shelley.”
Brown said Shelley went off to school and came back in 1978 and opened Shelley Drug Store. He said Shelley touched thousands of lives and was a trusted fixture of advice for many people.
He said Shelley’s biggest asset is that he is a friend and that’s what he does the best. Brown said Shelley had succeeded in being the best friend, best husband, best father, and best grandfather that he can be. He said you would look at Shelley’s family to see that he has succeeded in life.
Latta School Superintendent John Kirby was a connoisseur of food, both cooking and eating; a connoisseur of wine; a connoisseur of travel; a connoisseur of adventure; a connoisseur of history; a connoisseur books and reading; a connoisseur of Latta; and a connoisseur of knowing how to entertain. Kirby said Shelley is a major fan of Ernest Hemingway. Kirby said everyone knew Shelley differently, but he was very proud to know him as a fellow Rotarian and a good friend of all of us.
A. LaFon Legette, Jr., was the next to speak. He recalled that Shelley used to be a cook at Weatherford’s Grill. Legette said Shelley was consistent and dependable in everything he does.
Harold Kornblut said Shelley was a wonderful friend, a person who on could depend on, and very much missed around this community as he recently moved.
Shelley then accepted the award. He thanked everyone from the bottom of his heart. “You all know I love Latta,” Shelley said. “Now I love it even more.”
Past recipients of the Latta Rotary Club Citizen of the Year Award are:
1992- Latta Rescue Squad, 1993-Moses Kornblut, 1994-Duncan M. Dew, Jr., 1995- Otho C. Lane, Jr., 1996- Allan P. Brigman, 1997- Robert L. McBryde, Jr., 1998- A. LaFon LeGette, 1999- Earl Edward Rice, 200- Henry A. Brunson, 2001- Latta High School Boys Basketball State Championship team, 2002- John M. Kirby, Ed.D., 2003- Rev. Bill B. Williams, 2004- Nancy G. Brigman, 2005-Betty Jean Aston, 2006- Alex H. Johnson, 2007- Richard J. Kopituk, 2008- R. Walton Brown, 2009- Gary Williams, 2010- Hepsy Greer Parham, 2011- Cynthia M. LeGette, 2012- Clement Olin Epps, 2013- Richard Maxie Gardener, 2014- Harold David Snipes, 2015- Samuel O. and Carole J. Clardy, and 2016- Seba and Lou Stoudenmire.