Dr. Danny Reese Blackwell

Dr. Danny Reese Blackwell of Kershaw, South Carolina passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, surrounded by his loving family.

Born in Kershaw, South Carolina, on February 26, 1932, he was the adored only child of Doris Hilton and David Reese Blackwell. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Carolina and earned his medical degree from the Medical College of South Carolina. After completing his residency, he returned home to his beloved Kershaw, where he devoted his life to the practice of medicine and to the community that had shaped him.

For decades, Danny served as a trusted physician to generations of patients. His practice was guided by a deep sense of compassion and an unwavering belief that every person deserved dignity and care. He welcomed everyone through his doors and treated each patient with the same kindness and respect. He was known to make house calls at all hours and to care for those who might otherwise have been forgotten. For Danny, medicine was never simply a profession; it was a calling rooted in service, humility, and a genuine love for people.

Three of the most important pillars of his life were faith, family, and friends. He loved to share stories about each of them and did so with warmth, pride, and his signature wit. The quintessential Southern gentleman and a true Renaissance man, Danny possessed remarkable good looks, a gregarious spirit, exceptional humor, and an intellectual curiosity that drew people of every generation. His optimism, positive outlook on life and infectious laughter inspired everyone around him. When his children were young, he kept a pony named, Ike Junior Larigold Supreme Blackwell in the backyard of their home in town (the only time his wife did not appreciate his sense of humor).

Throughout his life, he held a deep appreciation for both politics and the arts. He was committed to improving his country, his state, and his local community through service, philanthropy, education, and his own business endeavors. He also expressed his creative spirit through painting, a pursuit he continued to enjoy well into his later years.

Danny built a lasting legacy for his family through his steadfast faith and dedication to service. In his church he served in numerous capacities, including Chairman of the Deacons, Sunday School Director, Sunday School teacher, and Chairman of Finance. In his later years, he studied generations of family Bibles, compiling their annotations of meaningful and important scriptures into a book titled Footnotes to Heaven.

A loyal supporter of education at all levels, he served on the founding Board of Trustees of Charleston Southern University, the Board of Trustees at Furman University, and the Board of Visitors at Winthrop University. He also contributed greatly as a founding board member of the first EMT program in South Carolina. A lifelong learner, he loved sharing his passion for medicine through teaching at the Camden School of Nursing.

Danny was preceded in death by the love of his life, Betty Lou Griffith Blackwell. Both only children, they shared sixty-two years of marriage and built their large, loving family that became their greatest joy. Family holidays were filled with spirited games, lively music, and competitive sports, creating special traditions and lasting memories.

Danny deeply loved his family and took great pride in each of them. He is survived by his five children: Elizabeth Blackwell Roberts (Robin D. Roberts) of Washington, DC; David Reese Blackwell (Linda Larkin Blackwell) of Lancaster, South Carolina; Amy Blackwell Sims (Dr. Stephen Sims) of Charlotte, North Carolina; Daniel Griffith Blackwell (Erika Stenstrom Blackwell) of Maiden, North Carolina; and Griffith Blackwell Barre (Dr. Stewart Barre) of Columbia, South Carolina.

Affectionately known as “Grandan,” he leaves twelve grandchildren: Elizabeth Sims Miles (Thomas Blount Miles) of Birmingham, Alabama; Millicent Blackwell Sims of West Palm Beach, Florida; Stephen Hubert Sims, Jr. (Elizabeth Steitz Sims) of New York, New York; Griffith Roberts Roth (James Merritt Roth) of McLean, Virginia; Blythe Roberts McNerney (Ian John McNerney) of Bethesda, Maryland; Madeline Griffith Jordan (John Miles Jordan IV) of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina; John Stewart Barre of Columbia, South Carolina; Lyles Elizabeth Barre of Waterville, Maine; David Reese Blackwell III (Sarah Freeman Blackwell) of Charlotte, North Carolina; Larkin Blackwell Julian (Ross T. Julian, Jr.) of Charlotte, North Carolina; William Andrew Blackwell of Arlington, Virginia; and Benjamin Scott Blackwell of Maiden, North Carolina.

He was also blessed with thirteen great-grandchildren: Katherine Blackwell Miles and Reese Elizabeth Miles of Birmingham, Alabama; James Porter Roth, Harrison Merritt Roth, and Charlotte Griffith Roth of McLean, Virginia; Merrill Blythe McNerney and Grayson Elizabeth McNerney of Bethesda, Maryland; Pierce Mercer Julian and Scarlett Larkin Julian of Charlotte, North Carolina; Freeman Reese Blackwell and Betty Lou Blackwell of Charlotte, North Carolina; and Nellie Grace Sims and Etta Francis Sims of New York, New York.

A service will be held at First Baptist Church, 210 North Matson Street, Kershaw, South Carolina, on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at 2:00 in the afternoon.

The family will greet friends following the service at the church in the church sanctuary.

Private entombment will precede the service in Kershaw City Cemetery.

Memorial gifts may be made to Plexus Health. Please indicate that the gift is in memory of Dr. Danny R. Blackwell. Plexus Health 800 North White Street, Lancaster, S.C. 29720

Arrangements are under the care of Baker Funeral Home, Kershaw, South Carolina