Charles "Charlie" William Haggard

Pelion- Charles "Charlie" William Haggard passed away on Wednesday, February 12, 2020 at Lexington Medical Center, West Columbia, SC. Funeral Service will be conducted 1pm Saturday, 2/15/2020 at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Pelion. Burial will follow at 3pm at Corinth Lutheran Church in Saluda County. The family will receive friends from 6pm to 8pm Friday, 2/14/2020 at Barr-Price Funeral Home and Crematorium, Historic B-L Chapel. Memorials may be made to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church P O Box 144 Pelion, SC 29123 or Newberry College Athletic Fund 2100 College St Newberry, SC 29108.

  Charlie was born on February 27th 1940, in Gadsden, Alabama to Ralph and Lucille Haggard. He spent his childhood years in Alabama with his two sisters (Nancy and Anita) and three brothers (Roy Mac, Sonny (deceased), and Mike). He first lived in Dadeville, AL, where the family farmed and ran a dairy. Later, his family moved to Gadsden, AL. Prior to his entering the ninth grade the family moved to Belton, SC.

  Charlie attended Belton High School where he played baseball, ran track, and lettered in football and basketball. His best sport was football. As a result, he was selected to play in the 1957 Shrine Bowl and the 1958 South Carolina North-South All-Star game, and was selected to the All-State Football team. He received a scholarship to The Citadel based on his academics and skills at the tackle position. His collegiate football career included one year at The Citadel and three years at Newberry College. He played numerous positions, including tackle, long snapper, and place kicker. In 1963, Charlie graduated from Newberry College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce, and a girlfriend, Jean Nichols, that would later become his wife.

  In 1964, Charlie married Jean and moved to Hartsville where he began working for Milliken corporation and Jean taught at Hartsville High.

  During this time he became a football official with the South Carolina High School League. He eventually officiated over 300 football games, including 12 state championships. He officiated for twenty-five years in high school and ten years with the SAC-8 collegiate conference of the NAIA. He served as secretary-treasurer for District 5 of the South Carolina Football Officials Association (SCFOA) for eight years. In 1979 he was elected state secretary of the SCFOA, a position he held 1984. He considered it an honor to be asked to return as an official to the Shrine Bowl in 1978 and the South Carolina North-South game in 1983. He is one of only a few people to both officiate and play in these games. In 2003 he was inducted into the South Carolina Football Officials Association Hall of Fame.

  Charlie demonstrated his love for family and community in many ways. He was member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church starting in 1965. There he served many positions, including singing in the choir, serving on the Church Council, including as several stints as chairman of the Church Council. Over the years he served the community as a member of the Pelion Ruritan Club, where he was a lead peanut boiler for the Pelion Peanut Party. Other areas he served was with the Pelion Athletic Program where he served on the board and coached baseball. He helped those in need when he was a member of the Pelion Rescue Squad and taught first aid and CPR courses. Over the course of his life he also donated over 250 units of blood.

  Newberry College was a central part of his life. He felt that Newberry had given him so much, that he always wanted to give back to the school. Over the years he helped established a Scholarship for a deserving Newberry College Athlete, and served on the boards of both the Newberry Indian Club and the Newberry Lettermen’s Club (including two years as President). Along with Jean, he assisted with donations to purchase desks and technology equipment for education classrooms, refurbish a conference room for the education department in the McClurg Classroom Center, and established two scholarships for Pelion High School Graduates. Most recently he and Jean have donated money to help construct the Athletic Performance Improvement Center as part of the renovations at Setzler Field.

  One other way that he showed his passion for family and friends was through food. He loved to cook and cooked at many community, church, and family events.

  Charlie and Jeans have two sons, Ralph Haggard who resides in Lexington, SC with his wife, Beth their two children, Benjamin and Caroline and Col. Michael Haggard who resides in Washington, DC with his wife, Tracy and their daughter, Madison.

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