Dr. Danny Reese Blackwell

Dr. Danny Reese Blackwell of Kershaw, South Carolina, passed away peacefully on March 11, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. Born in Kershaw on February 26, 1932, he was the adored only child of Doris Hilton and David Reese Blackwell. He earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of South Carolina and his medical degree from the Medical College of South Carolina. After completing his residency, he returned to his beloved hometown, 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. Guided by deep compassion and an unwavering belief that every person deserved dignity and care, he welcomed everyone through his doors and treated each with the same kindness and respect. He made house calls at all hours and cared for those who might otherwise have been forgotten. To him, medicine was never simply a profession; it was a calling rooted in service, humility, and a genuine love for people.

Faith, family, and friends formed the pillars of his life. 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, and infectious laughter inspired everyone around him. He held a deep appreciation for both politics and the arts, expressed his creative spirit through painting well into his later years, and remained committed to improving his country, state, and local community through service, philanthropy, education, and business endeavors.

A lifelong learner and dedicated churchman, he served First Baptist Church in numerous capacities, including as Chairman of the Deacons, Sunday School Director, teacher, and Chairman of Finance. In his later years, he studied generations of family Bibles and compiled their meaningful annotations into a book titled Footnotes to Heaven. He also served on the founding Board of Trustees of Charleston Southern University, the Board of Trustees at Furman University, the Board of Visitors at Winthrop University, and as a founding board member of the first EMT program in South Carolina. He shared his passion for medicine by teaching at the Camden School of Nursing.

Danny was preceded in death by the love of his life, Betty Lou Griffith Blackwell. Together for sixty-two years of marriage, they built a large and loving family that became their greatest joy. 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 also leaves twelve grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren, each of whom he deeply loved and took great pride in.