Maurice Blevins

Maurice Everett Blevins, 89, of Spartanburg, SC, died Monday, August 14, 2017, at Spartanburg Regional Hospice Home. He was the only child of Ernest Irvin and Rachel Viola (Cavanagh) Blevins, born 30 March 1928 in Franklinville, Franklin Township, Gloucester, New Jersey. He grew up in a variety of places including Mingo, Iowa; Sevierville, Tennessee; Meeker, Colorado; Ovid, Colorado; and Misenheimer, North Carolina. When residing in Misenheimer he left high school without a diploma and entered Pfeiffer Junior College as a student where his father was teaching foreign language of which Maurice was proficient at several including French, German, Spanish, and Russian. After Pfeiffer he joined the Army Specialized Training Program with the U. S. Army on 17 July 1945. Family lore states he received his draft letter or heard his number was drawn so he volunteered for service to have his choice. The ASTP sent him to Clemson College. During his service, he was stationed at Boca Raton, Florida and taught radar in Biloxi, Mississippi. While in the service the U. S. Air Force was split off from the Army. He was honorably discharged from the USAF as a sergeant on 28 May 1949. Following his Army service, he lived briefly in Indianapolis, Indiana. He attended Duke University earning a Bachelor's Degree in 1952 and a PhD in Physics in 1958. He taught at Duke University, Wofford College, and Spartanburg Technical College serving as Head of Electronics Department. In 1972, he started work in research and development at Steel Heddle Manufacturing Company in Greenville, South Carolina until 1989. He programmed robotics at Cincinnati Milacron from 1989 to 1990 before fully retiring. Through his career, he patented several inventions and computer programming accomplishments. At some point before or soon after he began at Steel Heddle he picked up the nickname "Doc" although after moving to Skylyn Assisted Living in 2014 few called him that nickname. He was a member of the American Physical Society, American Association of Physics Teachers, and Sigma Xi. His son researched membership for the General Society of Mayflower Descendants on Richard Warren, Sons of the American Revolution on John Sayles of Rhode Island, and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War on Allen Blevins of Tennessee although he was not active. He was also a direct descendant of Rhode Island founder Roger Williams. He survived bladder cancer in the late 1990's until its reappearance in 2015. Until the last month of his life he maintained an unusual sense of humor which many enjoyed. He always loved animals and owned many dogs and cats. He was married to the late Anne Soule Lapham Blevins (30 April 1929-19 October 2002) on 19 July 1952 in Charleston, South Carolina. They moved to Spartanburg in 1959. They had one son, Ernest Everett Blevins. Surviving are his son, Ernest Everett Blevins and his wife, Lisa (Schlosser) Blevins and their children, Savannah Gayle, Ana Grace, Cameren Everett, Ryal Austin, Cavanagh William, and Jasper Alden Blevins; and one step-grandson, John Wayne Schlosser. In addition to his parents and wife, he was preceded in death by his stepmother, Pleasant Spell Blevins; and two stillborn grandchildren, Avery Everett Blevins and Isabella Noel Blevins. The family will receive friends 6:00-8:00 PM Friday, August 18, 2017, at Floyd's Greenlawn Chapel, 2075 E. Main St., Spartanburg, SC 29307. A memorial service will be conducted at 4:00 PM Saturday, August 19, 2017, at Floyd's Greenlawn Chapel. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Spartanburg Humane Society, 150 Dexter Road, Spartanburg, SC 29303. Floyd's Greenlawn Chapel To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Maurice Everett Blevins please visit our Sympathy Store.