Obituary of William Daniel Shelley

William Daniel Shelley passed away at his home on Sunday, December 19, 2021, after a long battle with cancer. Mr. Shelley was born May 26, 1948, at the Dillon Hospital to the late Hazel Elizabeth Shelley and the late Lonnie French Shelley. He grew up in Latta, South Carolina, and was a member of Latta Methodist Church. After graduating from Latta High School in 1966, Mr. Shelley attended the Clemson University College of Architecture where he earned a Bachelor of Architecture in 1971 and received the Tau Sigma Delta Award (AIA Honorary Fraternity) and the Rudolph E. Lee Award (highest design award presented by the College of Architecture). Mr. Shelley joined the firm of James, DuRant, James and Matthews in 1971, became an associate member in 1978, and a Principal of James, DuRant, Matthews & Shelley in 1983. In 2003, Mr. Shelley became Managing and Corporate Principal of JDMS, Inc. Mr. Shelley was a member of The American Institute of Architects and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. He was a NCIDQ Certified Interior Designer and a member of The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and the Carolinas Chapter of ASID, serving as its President in 2002-2003. He served on the South Carolina Interior Design Coalition; was a former member of the Interior Design Advisory Council, Department of Art & Design, at Converse College; was a Charter Member of the Advisory Council, School of Interior Design, at Anderson University; and was a guest lecturer at SC State University for graduate courses in school planning and a guest speaker in public schools on architecture in general. He was a Former Member and Chairman of the Sumter Downtown Design Review Committee, a Former Member and Chairman of the Sumter County Codes Review Board, and served on the Sumter Building Board of Appeals. He was a former member of the Lions Club and was a member of the Committee for Progress in Sumter. Mr. Shelley’s architectural career included over 200 public/private school projects, and he was involved with or architect-in-charge of 60 public school libraries, 2 college libraries and over 40 public library projects. In 1998, Mr. Shelley was one of two architects on the panel discussion “Building Libraries for the Future” at the South Carolina Library Association Conference in Columbia, South Carolina. He was an avid library user and for years served on the Board of the Friends of the Sumter County Library and also acted in the role of Consultant for the South Carolina State Library and the Edens Library at Columbia College. He received a 1ST Place ASID Interior Design Award for Institutional Facilities in North and South Carolina, a Silver Award from the Institute of Business Designers for North and South Carolina, a First Place "Adaptive Use Project” Award from the Downtown Development Association, an ASID Interior Design Award for Institutional Facilities in North and South Carolina, and the 2001 Herbert Hucks Award – Commission of Archives & History from the SC Methodist Conference. He was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Sumter, South Carolina, where he served as a Sunday School Teacher for many years and was a Former Member and Chairman of the Board of Trustees. He was a member of the Camellia Ball, the Trian Ball and was a founding member of the Sumter Ball. Mr. Shelley is survived by his wife of 49 years, Deborah Jane Davis Shelley; his daughter, Clara Bethea Shelley Lee (Josh) of Summerville; and his son, Cade Simpson Shelley of Charleston. He cherished his three grandsons, Thomas Sullivan Lee, Daniel Everett Lee and Elihu Watson Lee of Summerville. Also surviving and loved by him are his brother, David Earl Shelley (Jeannie) of Spartanburg, and his mother-in-law, Sue Watson Bethea of Latta. He also loved his nieces and nephew and his great-nieces and great-nephews and his many relatives throughout North and South Carolina. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Diane Elizabeth Shelley Young and his brother-in-law, Gale Young. A burial service will be held at Magnolia Cemetery in Latta, South Carolina, at 2 pm on Tuesday, December 21, 2021. Pallbearers will be Dr. J. Julian Abbott; Robert William Askins; Dr. Arland H. Compton; Carl J. Croft; Dr. Thomas W. Hepfer; Jack D. Howle, Jr.; Robert C. Rearden; Scott W. Rumph, III; and Charles R. Staggs, Jr. The Celebration of Life Service will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church in Sumter at 11:00 am on Wednesday, December 22, 2021, with Rev. Joseph R. James, Jr., Rev. Dr. Reginald Thackston and Rev. Angela Marshall officiating. Memorials may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church, 226 West Liberty Street, Sumter, SC, 29150; Sumter United Ministries, PO Box 1017, Sumter, SC 29151; or Latta United Methodist Church, PO Box 95, Latta, SC 29565. On-line condolences may be made at www.sumterfunerals.com Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home & Crematory, 221 Broad Street, Sumter, is in charge of the arrangements (803) 775-9386.