Obituary of Edward Sharpe

CAYCE— Funeral service for Edward Holmes Sharpe, 94, will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at State Street Baptist Church with Dr. Tommy Pillow officiating. Entombment will follow in Southland Mausoleum Chapel with Masonic Rites. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Monday evening a Thompson Funeral Home of West Columbia. Mr. Sharpe, widower of Sarah Beckum Sharpe, passed away on Friday, March 4, 2011. Born September 17, 1916 in Columbia, SC he was the first son of Lula Idell Ellisor Sharpe and William Edward Sharpe. As a young man he was a roustabout with the Downie Bros. Circus, a Liberty ship welder at the Wilmington Shipyard during WWII, a brakeman with Southern Railway and retired after 40 yrs as a Greyhound Bus driver where he logged over 3 million miles with a perfect safety record. He was a member of State Street Baptist Church, the Cayce Masonic Lodge and past Provost Guard at Jamil Shrine Temple. Ed was a train and circus wagon modeler, a charter member of the SC Railroad History museum, enjoyed collecting and watching vintage movies and was an avid student of history, especially of American Railroads. Surviving are daughters Julie Diane Sharpe Isom (F. Steven), Jennifer Beckum Sharpe Gary (Lee P.) and their children Andrew Holmes and Zachary Bruce of New Orleans, Sylvia Hinson (Buddy) and their 2 children of Albermarle, NC, Jewel Denby and her 3 children of Chester, SC; children of son Harold Gene Sharpe, Eddie, Bobby, Jason Lee and Wesley Diffienwerth, 12 great-grandchildren and 5 great-great grandchildren; sister Betty Dent (John R.) brothers Thurmond Grady Sharpe (Barbara) and Jack Dillard Sharpe, sister in law Ruby Lambert Sharpe and many beloved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife Sarah Alice Beckum of Wrens Georgia, son Harold Gene Sharpe, sisters Ruby Wilson, Thelma Blackwell, Annie Lee Sharpe, Edna Dodd, Doris Newman and brother William E. Sharpe, Jr. Please sign online guest book at www.thompsonsfuneral.com