Funeral services for the late Deacon Caldwell, Jr. will be held on Sunday, November 4, 2018 at 2:00 pm at Denmark Technical College (William L. McDuffie Gymnasium), Denmark, SC.  Interment services will follow immediately at Bamberg Memory Gardens, Bamberg, SC, with full military honors.

Dea. Willie Benjamin Caldwell, Jr. was the eldest of eight children born to the late Dea. Willie B. and Lillie M. Caldwell, Sr. on June 14, 1947 in Laurens, S. C.  He departed this life early Sunday morning October 28, 2018.

Preceding him in death was a brother Alphonso Caldwell and sister, Frances Caldwell.

"Caldwell"/"June", as he was affectionately called by family and friends attended the public schools of Laurens, graduating from Sanders High School.  He furthered his education at S. C. Area Trade/Denmark Technical College graduating  from the Air Conditioning Refrigeration program.  While at S. C. Area Trade he was also captain of the baseball team.  He continued his baseball career by playing professionally with the Boston Red Sox.

Willie's military career concluded with an honorable discharge from the Army at the rank of Sergeant 1st Class.  He was then employed with Getty Oil/Texaco in Oklahoma, where he drilled oil wells and was also a lease operator.  After moving back to South Carolina he was employed with Bamberg Job Corps and then Jean's Tours in Greenville, S. C., retiring as a professional motor coach operator that afforded him the opportunity to travel to every state in the US except Alaska and Hawaii.  His love for traveling never ceased.

Caldwell's retirement activities included; traveling and gardening, always planting extra to give to senior citizens and others.  He also donated and planted flowers downtown Denmark, S. C.  He loved and was a gifted golfer.  He was a member of the S. C. Birdies Golf Association and traveled to many states and Canada to golf.  Willie was the vice president and fundraising chairman for the Bamberg-Hampton Alumni Chapter of Denmark Tech.   With his expertise, the alumni chapter sponsored an annual golf tournament to raise funds to support the college.  He was also a member of Family and Community Leaders of Bamberg County.

Other than his golf trophies, he received the 2010 and 2015 Presidential Service Award for outstanding contribution, service and commitment to Denmark Tech.  He also received the 2014 Community Service Award for exemplary committed services rendered with the local community from the Denmark Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; Served as the 2015 Homecoming Parade Grand Marshal for Denmark Tech and Grand Marshal for the 2016 City of Denmark, S. C. Christmas Parade.

Deacon Willie loved Eden Missionary Baptist Church and his church family.  He enjoyed teaching Sunday School and singing on the choir and male chorus and doing whatever needed to spread the Good News of the Lord.

Cherishing precious and loving memories are his loving wife Josephine Grimes Caldwell, daughters, Andreana Leighton of Ardmore, Oklahoma, Yevonn Crawford of Davis, Oklahoma and Sandy Johnson of Columbia, SC; sons, John (Teresa) Summers of Goose Creek, SC and Martin Summers of Denmark, SC; three brothers, David Caldwell of Laurens, SC, George (Angela) Caldwell of Mauldin, SC and Cedric (Rochelle) Caldwell of Winnsboro, SC; two sisters, Connie (Robert) Lytes of Laurens, SC and Linda (Hubert) Bluford of Mountville, SC.; a brother-in-law Johnny (Michelle) Grimes of Bamberg, SC; six sisters–in-law Ruth Kizer, Alma (James) Richburg, Darlene (Ernest) Williams all of Bamberg, SC, Rosa Hicks and Evelyn (Varnedo) Muhammad of Denmark, SC and Geraldine Caldwell of Laurens, SC.; eight grandchildren; raised as; and a host of other relatives and friends.