An Appreciation: Joe Davenport Will Be Missed

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

If you ever met Joe Davenport, it’s unlikely you ever forgot him. Joe passed around midnight at age 91, and his passion and contributions to this community are unlikely to ever be matched.

Born in Anderson in August of 1933, Joe’s tales of his colorful life growing up in the town he loved are legendary. His father died when he was young, and his surrogate parents were Mr. and Mrs. T.L. Hanna, the namesake of the high school.

Joe remembered stories wholesome and saucy, and shared them with equal relish.

Over the years he has been praised and honored by a who’s who of Anderson County and South Carolina leaders.

His service to the state was recognized in August of 1992, when he received the highest civilian honor, “The Order of the Palmetto.” The award came less than a year after the most traumatic event of his life, the loss of his wife Betty, who died in December of 1991 after a battle with cancer.

The couple spent their lives dedicated to improving education, health care and mental health causes, and their annual St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast was a cornerstone of events in the community for years.

Joe continued his community work after Betty’s passing, but he never stopped to talk about their life together until his final days.

The late Federal Judge G. Ross Anderson once called Joe: “The most civic-minded person in Anderson County.”

Joe was involved in politics throughout his life, with connections with one of the so many solons, including the most influential politicians in the state’s history, Olin D. Johnson, who served as U.S. Senator and governor stretching across decades. Joe knew him well, and vividly recalled Johnson’s unexpected death in 1965, with stories of giving Johnson family members rides to the funeral.

Former S.C. Lt. Gov. Nick Theodore said Joe’s commitment to serving others has always been admirable.

“He truly personified the creed that service to others justifies life,” said Theodore.

Joe’s law enforcement experience is a hodgepodge of badges (for years he wore one of his badges on his belt) and stories, none of which I could ever keep straight. But his support for law enforcement was a constant.

Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride made a point of regularly picking up Joe for breakfasts, where Joe did most of the talking.

“I enjoyed our times we had breakfast together,” said McBride. “We (along with my chief deputy) went fairly regularly, at least once every few months. Although we had some different views on politics, he was a big supporter of ours. And I always enjoyed listening to his stories.”

I first met Joe in the mid-1970s, and slowly got to know him professionally and personally in the decades that followed, and eventually we became friends.

While working on “The Morning Show with Greg and Aly,” we would get regular visits, and phone calls, both at the station and at home, about what we discussed and what he thought we might talk more about on the air. Joe loved radio, and he made sure we knew how much it meant to him.

His calls to me continued in the years that followed, at least weekly until his most recent decline in health. His ability to find the rare ground of being grumpy and cheerfully optimistic in the same conversation was legendary.

Joe also regularly phoned my mother after the death of my father to make sure she was doing well, a clear sign his heart was as big as his mouth (a joke I told him often, one which he greeted with his “heh, heh, heh” laugh.)

In lunches with Joe around town, and later when Anderson First Baptist Pastor Dr. Josh Hunt joined us (Hunt was also close to Joe.) See Hunt’s tribute to Joe here.

Our community has lost a giant, and I have lost a friend.

I asked Joe in 2020 how he wanted to be remembered. Here’s what he said:

“Say I was a good citizen and I tried to do my best for everybody. I want to be remembered for trying to do what I can possibly do for the community, the state and the nation.”

The following rambling interview was conducted as Joe’s condo in 2020. If you never met him, you will experience a little taste of what you missed by watching this slightly edited video.