Bobby Gene Stephens
("Doc" to his children and grandchildren, "Herb" to
his Glendale grammar school friends, and "BG" to his
colleagues) died on June 26, 2024 at his home.
He was the son of the late Bertha
Cordelia Mott Stephens and Dewey Stephens and the
grandson of the late Lula Belle Brown Mott, Edgar
Mott, Lelia Stephens, and Clarence Lanham Stephens.
He is survived by the absolute love of
his life, his wife of 67 years Sandra Elizabeth
White Stephens, their four children, daughter
Barbara Elaine Stephens (Brian) and her children
Jasmine (daughter Avanelle), and Cordelia (Mike);
son Edward Dewey Stephens and his children Wyatt
(daughter Charlie), Haley, and Marjorie Jane: son
Robert Todd Stephens (Julie) and their children
Benjamin (Kristin), Harry and Olivia; and son Adam
Mott Stephens (Carolyn) and their children Lindsay,
Hayden, and Emma. He is also survived by his sister
June Elaine Stephens, and his cousin, “Cuz”, Don
Stephens. He and Sandra opened their home to many,
and while not listed, held an extremely special
place in his heart.
He was born on March 8, 1935, and
raised in Glendale, South Carolina. He attended
Glendale Grammar School and Pacolet High School. He
received a B.S. degree in chemistry from Wofford
College and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in analytical
chemistry from Clemson University. He was awarded
the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by
MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois and the
honorary degree of Doctor of Science by Wofford
College in Spartanburg.
He was a chemistry
professor, dean of the college, and vice president
for information technology at Wofford College. He
served as president of MacMurray College in the
1980s. He was a commissioned officer in the U.S.
Army Security Agency where he served as a
cryptanalyst and intelligence analyst at the
National Security Agency (NSA). His military service
was his honor, and those who landed on the beaches
of Normandy on June 6, 1944 were his heroes.
He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa,
received the Jefferson Award of the South Carolina
Academy of Science for meritorious chemistry
research, and received Wofford's Distinguished
Service Award. He published papers about his
chemistry research in international refereed
journals and made presentations at international
conferences. His chemical research resulted in the
development of the premier primary standard for
EDTA, simple methods for the determination of sulfur
dioxide, and the discovery of the outstanding
solvent and extraction properties of an essentially
non-toxic organic liquid.
He grew up in the Glendale Methodist
Church and was a member of Trinity United Methodist
Church where he was an adult Sunday school
teacher.He was an active volunteer in the
restoration and renaissance of the former textile
village of Glendale. His capstone project was
facilitating the restoration of the Old Iron Bridge
in Glendale.He served as chair of the State Library
Board, the research committee of the consortium of
South Carolina Independent Colleges and
Universities, the Western Carolinas Section of the
American Chemical Society, and the Piedmont Area
Section of Phi Beta Kappa.
He attributed his success to his wife,
Sandra, his mother, Bertha, and his grandmother,
Lula Belle.The family is grateful to the
compassionate care provided by Spartanburg Regional
Hospice.
A celebration of life will be
scheduled at a later date.In lieu of flowers please
consider a gift to the Environmental Studies program
at Wofford College, 429 North Church Street,
Spartanburg, SC, 29303; the BSA Glendale Outdoor
Leadership School, 420 South Church Street,
Spartanburg, SC 29306 or designated to programs
supporting single mothers via the United Way of the
Piedmont 203 East Main Street, Spartanburg, SC29306
