Funeral details announced for the late SC Senate Finance Chairman Hugh Leatherman
A funeral for the late South Carolina Sen. Hugh Leatherman will be held Friday afternoon in Florence County.
A release from Leatherman’s office said the funeral will start at 3 p.m at the Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center, 201 S. Dargan St. The family plans to host a reception after the funeral at the center.
Anyone who plans to attend is asked to arrive early because parking and seating will be limited.
Leatherman, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee for about 20 years, died Friday at the age of 90. He had been in hospice care since late October after the discovery of inoperable cancer.
As finance chairman, Leatherman helped to direct millions of dollars in the state budget to Francis Marion University to open buildings, including a medical complex and the performing arts center. Two buildings on the campus are named for Leatherman.
Francis Marion University President Fred Carter said Leatherman pushed for buildings that focused on workforce development and satisfied critical work needs in the Pee Dee region and across the state.
Leatherman frequently attended graduation ceremonies at the university.
“If Hugh Leatherman can choose a legacy he would probably argue his legacy are those graduates, student by student by student because were if not for his leadership on many of these issues, college wouldn’t have been a possibility for them,” Carter said.
This story was originally published November 15, 2021 at 1:03 PM.
