Mr. Whitfield Sims, Jr.

It is with heartfelt sorrow that the management and staff of Mitchell-Josey Funeral Home, Inc. announces the passing of Mr. Whitfield Sims, Jr. of Charleston, SC, formally of Darlington, SC.  On Tuesday, June 24, 2020, Whitfield Sims, Jr., heard his Master's call at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, SC

Funeral service will be held 11:00 AM on Sunday, June 28, 2020 in Faith Memorial Gardens. Interment will follow. 

Obituary

    “For now I am ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand.  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.”                      II Timothy 4:6-8

   Mr. Whitfield Sims, Jr. was born June 10, 1947 the son of the late Whitfield Sims, Sr. and Beatrice Wingate Sims.  He was the second child of four children: the late Jerry Lee Wingate, Cardell Sims and Farest Sims Planter. Whitfield transitioned from labor to reward early Wednesday morning, June 24, 2020 at Ralph H. Johnson VeteranAdministration Medical Center in Charleston, South Carolina.

    At a young age, it was obvious that Whitfield was not like other children. He was driven, motivated, and determined to excel at everything he put his mind to doing. Whitfield attended the Darlington County Public Schools and he was an all-around talented athlete with a passion for the Arts.  While a student at Mayo High School in Darlington, he was a starting point guard and contributed to two state basketball championships. During his senior year of high school, he pioneered the integration of public schools as one of the 13 Child Warriors. Due to Whitfield’s sacrifice and endurance, the structure of Darlington County Schools changed to this day. He was a 1965 graduate of St. John High School, “Blue Devils”. 

    After graduation, Whitfield served his country in the United States Army for two years and after his tenure, he was honorably discharged. A steward for learning, Whitfield attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA and graduated from Howard University in Washington, DC with a Bachelor of  Fines Arts in Theater. He received a  Masters in Media Science from Columbia University in New York and completed an apprenticeship in Modern Theatre with Lloyd Richard from Yale University. Whitfield also completed an apprenticeship in Classical Theater with Peter Coe at the Globe Theatre in Stratford, England. 

    Whitfield was a member of the Actors Equity Association, Second Vice President of USITT (New York), and Directors Guild (I.D.G.). He was an approved Artist with the SC Arts Commission and a former member of the board of directors for the Florence Little Theatre and Vice President for the Scriptwriter of South Carolina. 

    Whitfield was formerly the Auditorium Manager at Burke High School in Charleston, SC and worked with the Kaleidoscope Program in the elementary schools. Under his leadership, the R.E.A.D. program (Ready Yourself for Enrichment & Achievement through Drama) was discovered. This program was created to nurture students to use their reading, writing, critical thinking and technology skills to understand the origin of the characters they will portray. He was also on the Board of Directors for YEVA (Young Entrepreneur Vocational Academy) Charter School . It was the first Charter Schools created in the state of SC under the Charter School District in Summerton, SC 

    Whitfield found the Lord as a youth at the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Darlington, SC.  As a man of God, he worshiped and served his Lord.   In later years, He served as the Head Deacon at The Rock, The Word, The Truth Ministries in Charleston, SC.  He was also the Assistant Pastor of the Journey Performing Arts Ministry.

  Whitfield  memories will live on forever through his loving Children and grandchildren,  aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and many friends.

Please keep his children and grandchildren in your thoughts and prayers. 

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