Obituary of Allen Faulkner Savitz

COLUMBIA: Graveside service for Allen Faulkner Savitz, 78, will be held at 12 p.m. Friday, May 10, 2013, in Upper Long Cane Cemetery, Abbeville, SC. The family will receive friends from 6 until 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, 2013, at the home of Mark McGill at 2217 Dunvegan Drive, Columbia, SC 29209. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Humane Society of Columbia, 121 Humane Lane, Columbia, SC 29209, or to The Free Medical Clinic, 1875 Harden Street, Columbia, SC 29204. Mr. Savitz passed away Saturday, May 4, 2013. Born in Abbeville, SC, he was a son of the late Joseph L. Savitz, Sr. and Catherine Faulkner Savitz. He graduated from Abbeville High School in 1952. He attended USC from 1953-1957, where he received his BA in Journalism, while serving in the National Guard. He received his Master's degree in Art from USC in 1993. Mr. Savitz was a radio disc jockey in New Orleans in the late 1950s and owner of Savitz Record Center in Abbeville in the 1960s and 1970s. He and his brother founded one of the first cable TV companies in the US and the first in SC in Abbeville in the 1970s. After moving to Columbia in 1978, he opened Striders Concert Hall in 1984, taught theater arts at USC 1980-1984, worked at the State Newspaper in the late 1980s, taught theater, public speaking, and critical thinking at Midlands Tech in the 1990s and 2000s and communications at USC 2004-2008, when he retired. Survivors include: foster-son, Jimmy Pennington of Columbia; sister-in-law, Lucy Savitz of Abbeville; nephews, Joey Savitz of Columbia and Bill Savitz of Abbeville; great nieces, Alexandra Savitz of Charleston and Isabelle Savitz of Greer; great nephew, Peyton Savitz of Greer. Mr. Savitz was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Joseph L. Savitz, Jr.; nephew, Paul Savitz; and aunts, Ada Allen and Elizabeth Speed. Friends and relatives are invited to view this obituary and share condolences or memories with the family at www.greenlawnmemorialparkandfh.com.