Bascom Alton Dewitt

Bascom Alton Dewitt, Jr.

(January 7, 1947 – January 17, 2023)

“The good ole Lord’s lookin’ out for me,” and I know “the best is yet to come!” If you knew Bascom Alton Dewitt, Jr, you heard him say this often. Our dear cousin, friend, and co-worker, whom we affectionately called “Dewitt,” met his Savior the night of January 17, 2023, at the age of 76. To those who were fortunate to know him, he was a kind, loving, gentle soul with a smile that lit up any room. If in need, Dewitt would give you the shirt off his back and the last dollar in his pocket. Dewitt was raised in Florence, South Carolina, where his mom and Dad ran a convenience store, where a neighbor took him to church, and where a grandmother never stopped praying. His love for the Lord and “God’s Amazing Grace” never left him.  Although Dewitt learned some life-changing lessons in this world, those challenges led him back to church at 60 years of age. In 2008, with the urging of a cousin and a preacher who would visit the York County Recycling Center in Fort Mill, Dewitt found a new family at Grace Community Church in Fort Mill, South Carolina.  He shared once, “that changed my whole life. I found God again or maybe the good ole Lord found me.”

With the help of a cousin, Dewitt moved to the Fort Mill/Rock Hill area in 1975. He immediately found work and spent several years of employment at Rock Hill Printing and Finishing Company and the Rock Hill Celanese Plant. But for those of us who knew Dewitt, his love and passion was serving and helping our community through his employment at the “York County Recycling Center of Fort Mill.” Dewitt loved his work and “family” coworkers so much that he retired February 2022 and came out of retirement the following month. He missed the people who would come to the Recycling Center, especially Pat Lytle and other special friends. That’s our Dewitt! Once the news of his illness was made known, family, friends, co-workers, and even people whom he didn’t know well, came to his home with prayers, well-wishes, meals, and numerous phone calls to share how much he had made a difference in their lives. Dewitt will always be remembered for his humble acts of love and faith.

Dewitt was preceded in death by his parents, Bascom and Esther Dewitt, his baby sister Gloria, and many other family members. He leaves behind his cousin and caregiver, Dianne Crosby, other caregivers Holly. Ricky McCollum and Tommy McCollum, his aunt, Mary Matthews, and his dear friends: Butch Freeman, Rhonda and Johnny, Brenda Drake, Jackie and Shirley Hartley. Dewitt was blessed with many friends and coworkers who became family from the Rock Hill Diner and the York Recycling Center of Fort Mill. There are too many to name but know how much Dewitt loved you all. In addition, Dewitt held a special place in his heart for his “Aged to Perfection” Life Group at Grace Community Church. Truly, Dewitt was blessed with many special family and friends, but we were the ones blessed because of his love and friendship.

A “Celebration of Life” service will be held Wednesday, January 25th at 11:00 a.m. in the Worship Center of Grace Community Church, located at 1190 Gold Hill Road, Fort Mill, South Carolina.  A visitation with family and friends will take place prior to service at 10:00 a.m. Following the service, burial will take place at Florence Memorial Gardens in Florence, South Carolina. Memorials may be made to Grace Community Church of Fort Mill.