William Holcombe

William Evan Holcombe, 85, of Spartanburg - known as Hawkeye by his Navy and high school friends - died Sunday, July 3, 2011, at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. Born July 27, 1925, in Greenville County, he was the son of the late Loten LeVant and Elsie Lee Omey Case Holcombe. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Julia Daughdrill Holcombe of Spartanburg. "Mr. Bill" was a Navy Medical Corpsman in the South Pacific during World War II. He was in the last graduating class of Mountain View High School in North Greenville County and was graduated from Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. For twenty years he was a pastor and state executive for the Church of God in Kentucky. His pastoral nature extended beyond his retirement from the ministry. He spent five years working alongside Colonel Harland Sanders developing the Kentucky Fried Chicken brand around the world, and subsequently, worked another 20 years with KFC franchisees throughout the southeast and Caribbean. Later, he opened his own restaurant, Grannies Fried Chicken, in Summerville. In his later years, he was an electrician, working throughout North and South Carolina. In addition to his wife, he is survived by two daughters, Donna Holcombe Burdette of Spartanburg and Denise Holcombe Pennington and his son-in-law, Richard, of Gaffney; two sisters, Elizabeth Coggins of Greenville and Nina Willis of Lakeland, FL; as well as numerous nephews, nieces, and friends. He was a member of Restoration Church, Spartanburg. Visitation will be 12:30-1:45 PM Wednesday, July 6, 2011, at Floyd's Greenlawn Chapel. Funeral services will follow at 2:00 PM, in the Chapel, conducted by the Rev. Joey Turner and Bishop Don Horton. Burial will be in Cross Plains Baptist Church Cemetery, Travelers Rest, SC. Memorials may be made to Mobile Meals Service, PO Box 461, Spartanburg, SC 29304. The family is at the home. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of William Evan Holcombe please visit our Sympathy Store.