[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 18 (Monday, February 1, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E83]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IN MEMORY OF JOYCE C. HEARN
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HON. JOE WILSON
of south carolina
in the house of representatives
Monday, February 1, 2021
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, South Carolina cherishes
the service of Joyce C. Hearn who was devoted to the citizens of South
Carolina. She served as the Campaign Manager for the late Chairman
Congressman Floyd Spence and was crucial in building the new Republican
Party with no elected Republicans, which in 2020 established the
largest Republican majorities at all levels of government in 140 years.
Joyce C. Hearn
[Jan. 20, 2021]
Columbia, South Carolina.--A family only graveside service
for Joyce C. Hearn will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, January
31, 2021, at Elmwood Cemetery. There will also be a
livestream of the service on Dunbar Funeral Home--Devine's
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/DunbarDevine.
The Honorable Joyce C. Hearn died Wednesday. January 20,
2021. Born in Cedartown, Georgia, she was the daughter of the
late J.C. Camp and Carolyn Carter Camp. At age 16, she
enrolled at West Georgia College, where she met her future
husband, Thomas H. Hearn. She transferred to the University
of Georgia and graduated with a Bachelors in Education from
Ohio State University. After graduation, they moved to
Columbia, South Carolina, where she taught at Eau Claire High
School.
She was most proud of her service to the people of South
Carolina. She entered public life working with the 1970
Census, rising through the ranks to become both North and
South Carolina's Director of the U.S. Census. She was active
in the S. C. Republican Party until her retirement in 2015,
working tirelessly to elect Republicans. She championed every
Republican presidential candidate from Barry Goldwater to
George W. Bush.
She was involved in every aspect of elective life. She
began as a party volunteer in Richland County; by 1972, she
was Chair of the Richland County Republican Party. From there
she went into elective office, representing District 76 in
the South Carolina Legislature from 1975 to 1990. In her
first race, she was described by The State newspaper as a
``housewife'' who was just running as a placeholder until a
real candidate could be found. But she was never a
placeholder. In subsequent elections, The State described her
victories as ``landslides'' or once, when she had a 40% lead
over a local attorney, an ``earthquake.''
For years, Representative Hearn was the only woman in the
S. C. Legislature, but she was always a force that could not
be overlooked. Well respected by her peers, she was named
assistant minority leader from 1976 to 1978 and 1987-1989.
From that position she worked tirelessly to protect the
rights of crime victims. Her work to expand the prosecution
of rape to include degrees of criminal sexual assault has
changed the way the South Carolina public views rape, giving
hope to all victims of domestic violence.
In 1990, Gov. Carroll Campbell appointed Representative
Hearn to be Chairman of the Alcoholic Beverage Control
Commission. Afterwards, at a time when many of her colleagues
were retiring, she began a second career in public relations
with her own company Hearn & Associates, until her final
retirement in 2014.
She was a woman of many interests. She was a founder of the
National Order of Women Legislators, which to this day
provides a national forum for women's networking across all
state legislatures. In 1979, Gov. Edwards awarded her the
Order of the Palmetto for her many contributions to South
Carolina. She was active in many diverse organizations, such
as the Boards of the Columbia Urban League, the Federation of
the Blind, Columbia College, and many others.
She also served on the board of the Columbia Museum. Many
associations named her Legislator of the Year; the
Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the S.C. Association
of Disabled Citizens, and the S.C. Committee on Sexual
Assault, to name a few. She received the 1985 Mothers Against
Drunk Driving Distinguished Service Award for her work
regarding Open Containers and raising the drinking age to 21.
Representative Hearn served as chairman of the National
Advisory Commission on Occupational Safety and Health.
First and foremost, she loved her family; she was a devoted
mother and grandmother, always there in time of need. She
also loved golfing at Fripp Island (she was an avid fan of
Tiger Woods) and playing Bridge with her friends. She was a
jokester and highly competitive, making every game fun for
all. She was a winner at everything she did.
Representative Hearn was a member of Kathwood Baptist
Church and a Sunday school regular.
Surviving are her daughters, Terri Hearn Bailey (Joseph
Stan), Kimberly H. Johnson of Columbia, and C. Lee Hearn
Becker (Karl) of Manassas, VA. She has six grandchildren,
Carter Reston Potts, Joyce Carolyn ``Josie'' Bailey (Sudesh
Kalyanswamy), Ruth Elisabeth ``Lisa'' Bailey, and Sarah Hearn
Bailey, as well as Jason Thomas Becker and Daniel Gustav
Becker. She was so looking forward to Sarah's upcoming
marriage to Christopher Michael Siercks on February 13. In
addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her husband,
Thomas Harry Hearn.
Memorials may be made to Kathwood Baptist Church, 4900
Trenholm Rd., Columbia, SC 29206. Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine
Street Chapel, is assisting the family. Memories may be
shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com.
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