Durant Reid

Mr. Durant Reid was born in Manning, South Carolina in Clarendon County to the late Henry and Susan Reid on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1935. Later Durant became affectionately known as “Sonny” to his family, friends and acquaintances.

Sonny was educated at Santee Rosenwald School in the Clarendon County School System.  At an early age, Sonny joined Pine Grove AME Church in Greeleyville, SC.  Sonny moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in his late teens, where he began a long career in construction.  He held numerous positions with various construction companies in the Philadelphia area.  It was in Philadelphia where he met the love of his life, Shirley Holloway.  They were introduced by two mutual friends, Ephram and Ruby Johnson and the rest is history.  After a short courtship, he married Shirley on December 3, 1960.  They were married for over 57 years and from that marriage they had three daughters.  Later years, he relocated his family to Florence, South Carolina.  Sonny started Reid Construction and became licensed under the State of South Carolina Residential Builders Commission.

Sonny worked hard and enjoyed traveling and vacationing with his family.  Attending every Reid Bennett Dixon Family Reunion until 2018 when Shirley’s health declined.  Sonny hobbies included fishing, going to the movies and enjoying a good meal.  As a grandfather better known as “PaPa,” he enjoyed traveling to Georgia to see his grandchildren and great-grandchildren in celebrations and extra curricular activities.  PaPa enjoyed teaching his grandchildren how to drive.  During many summers, his grandchildren enjoyed spending time with their grandparents which also included going to work with PaPa to remodel a home or  help build a new construction home.  Many of us recall how many times we had to re-do a receipt or an estimate for a structure we did not even understand.  His smile lite up a room and his jokes would have you on the floor, then he would beat you laughing at his own jokes.

Sonny was a faithful member of the Savannah Grove Baptist Church. He was very instrumental in multiple building projects in the church.  Sonny moved to Georgia with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren when his health declined in 2020. 

Sonny leaves to cherish his memories:  his three daughters, Michele (Dexter) Kennon of Conyers, GA, Patricia Fleming of McDonough, GA, and Valerie (Eddie) Henderson of  Conyers, GA; five grandchildren, Amber Burgess, Derek Burgess, Bryce Fleming, Jordan Kennon, and E. Silas Henderson, III, and two great-grandchildren, Jaden Willis and Gabrielle Coleman all of GA; two brothers, Clayton (Sandra) Reid and Jerome Reid both of Greeleyville, SC; three sisters, Juanita Brown, Rebecca Hill, and Hattie White all of Philadelphia, PA; four sister-in-laws, Dearia Williamson of Philadelphia, PA, Francenia (Thomas) Cooper of Effingham, SC, Dorothy (Robert) Davis of Decatur, GA, and Dianne (Henry) Sanders of Florence, SC. two brother-in-laws, Bernard (Clara) Holloway of Washington, DC and Nathan Holloway of Florence SC; one aunt, Lila Crawford of Philadelphia, PA and a host of other nieces, nephews, and friends.  He had three brothers and one sister; George Reid, Lee Ernest Reid, Henry Reid, and Dorothy Mae Moore, whom all preceded him in death.

God saw fit to call Sonny home on January 26, 2022; he passed away peacefully at Emory Hospital (Atlanta, GA) with his children and grandchildren by his bedside.

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