Coach J. Heyward Bouknight Jr.

Services for James Heyward Bouknight Jr., 77, a devoted husband, father, brother, grandfather, and uncle will be conducted at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at Leesville United Methodist Church with the Reverend Bruce Sayre and Reverend Sandra King officiating. The burial will follow in Ridge Crest Memorial Park. Pallbearers will be Tony Attaway (representing his father, lifelong friend, Scooter Attaway), Andy Bedenbaugh, Will Berry, Ty Bouknight, Tim Covington, Bill Parler, Brian Pierce, Nick Rikard, Mason Sanders, Phil Strickland, and Chris Taylor.  Honorary Pallbearers will be Wayne Eastman, Bob Hartzog, Sam Huggins, Trudy Matthews, David Rankin, Greg “Possum” Smith, Bernard Trotter, and Frieda Wald.  The family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday, September 14, 2020 at Barr-Price Funeral Home and Crematorium Historic, B-L Chapel.  Memorials may be made to Leesville United Methodist Church, 510 East Columbia Ave., Leesville, SC 29070.

Coach Bouknight died Friday, September 11, 2020. Born in Batesburg, he was a son of the late James Heyward Bouknight Sr. and Miriam Leonelle Hite Bouknight. He was a lifelong member of Leesville United Methodist Church where he was loyal to the New Life and Open Door Sunday School classes. He served his church in numerous positions throughout the years. He graduated from Batesburg-Leesville High School, attended Spartanburg Junior College, and graduated from the University of South Carolina. He began his teaching and coaching career in the Batesburg-Leesville school system in 1971. He taught and coached for 33 years, including three years as athletic director and head football coach at Saluda High School. During his teaching career at Batesburg-Leesville, he taught Physical Education where he was named Teacher of the Year by his peers. He coached girls’ basketball, girls’ softball, and football(B-team, JV, Varsity). He spent his last 20 years as offensive line coach for the Batesburg-Leesville Panthers, where his players still remember his motto “HOGS LEAD THE WAY!”. In 2009, he was inducted into the inaugural class of the Batesburg-Leesville High School Athletic Hall of Fame. He was awarded the prestigious Palmetto Patriot Award from the state of South Carolina. He retired from the South Carolina National Guard after serving 36 years. Many of his summers were spent managing Monetta Peach Packers. Heyward was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and fishing as well as working in his garden and fruit orchards. 

Surviving are his loving wife of 52 years, Bobbie Miller Bouknight; sons, Tripp (Ashley) Bouknight, Rob (Amber) Bouknight, and daughter Mary Clare (Brett) Price; a brother, Ed (Phylis) Bouknight; a sister, Beth(Billy) Berry, all of Leesville; grandchildren Dakota Miller (Brittany), Jack, Henry, Adelaide, Eliette, and Oliver Bouknight, Cole and Nate Price; numerous nieces and nephews; and special cousins, Kaye McClung and Paula Fallaw. He was predeceased by a son, John Heyward Bouknight, grandson James Randall Bouknight and brother John Leon Bouknight.

The family extends special thanks to Dr. Bill Sawyer, Dr. Chelsea Stillwell and staff of Lexington Oncology, and hospice nurse Mrs. Brooke Noteboom.

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