Mr. Caldwell Robertson Dial, Jr.

Caldwell Robertson “Bobby” Dial, Jr., 80, of Lexington, SC, passed away Wednesday, May 6, 2020 at Prisma Health Richland Hospital in Columbia. Bobby was born to the late Caldwell Robertson Dial, Sr. and Nina (Heyward) in 1940 in Columbia, SC. The eldest of three boys, Bobby took the role early on as chief instigator of many dubious adventures, often casting the real offenders to be his younger brothers, Dusty and Michael. Bobby grew up in Forest Acres and developed life-long friendships, including best friends the late Billy Lamar and Jim Simpson, that brought him joy and many further misadventures. He loved to tell those stories and often left his family wondering why and how he and his friends got themselves into some of those situations. Bobby attended Georgia Tech on the “long plan”, as he liked to say. But he worked hard there and graduated with a degree in architecture, proudly wearing his Georgia Tech ring for the rest of his life. Upon graduation, he rode a motorcycle across the country and eventually ended up in San Francisco, where he worked to earn his architecture license, had a pet cat named Sebastian, found many more friends for life, and developed an abiding love for the Bay Area, especially Sausalito—a village on the bay that he would return to again and again, visiting old friends and later bringing his family to experience that part of his life, as well. Upon returning to Columbia, Bobby joined and eventually led the architecture and construction firm established by his father. One of his earliest projects was to design and build his dream house on Lake Murray: an ultra-modern house of glass, facing a beautiful view of the lake. He went on to design many commercial buildings and renovation projects throughout his career with the firm and later in private practice, most notably the fountain at the SC Governor’s Mansion. Bobby loved the water and being out on it, racing speedboats at first and then sailboats. It was through sailing that he met his future wife, Karen (Wrisley). Bobby and Karen were married in 1977, raised two girls, Keegan and Barbara, had many pets, and somehow managed to stay married despite spending a lot of time in boats together over the years. (It probably worked because Karen was usually the skipper.) The Columbia Sailing Club was a big part of Bobby’s life and he was proud to serve a term as the club’s commodore and later as the unofficial chaplain of the club, kicking off regattas with a prayer and ready to lend comfort to anyone suffering. Bobby also had a great love for God and his church, St. Alban’s Episcopal in Lexington, where he was an active member and lay reader. Bobby was also deeply committed to and fulfilled by his work with Kairos Prison Ministry, bringing Christ's love and forgiveness to prisoners. In addition to his more wholesome pursuits, which also included napping, slow-motion jogging, flat-picking music, and playing guitar (a hobby that he doggedly pursued in the privacy of home, which Karen says we should all be thankful for) Bobby very much enjoyed crafting his own rum that he called Cousin B’s. You were a special friend if you ever received a mason jar of Cousin B’s rum with its hand-lettered label, complete with classic Bobby jokes. Bobby was always ready for a get-together—large or small, formal or informal, with new friends and old—and always had a story to tell, mostly jokes told with a straight-face quickly followed by cracking himself up. He liked to stay to the end of the party, but on the rare occasions he didn’t, he’d leave with his famous line, “Y’all go on just like I was here.” Besides his parents, Bobby was pre-deceased by beloved family dogs, Huey and Ginger, several slightly less-beloved pets, and most recently by Sam, whom he called the best cat ever. He is survived by his wife, Karen; children, Keegan Bowman (Todd) and Barbara Rosen (Bryan); and grandchildren, Rhys, Madison, and Harper. He is also survived by his brothers, Allard “Dusty” and Michael; parents-in-law, John and Barbara Wrisley; nine sisters- and brothers-in-law; many nieces and nephews, and close Dial cousins and their families. A private graveside service will be held for Bobby at St. Alban’s cemetery near the gates that he designed, and a celebration of Bobby’s life will be held in the future when all his family and friends can can be together. Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, is assisting the family. Donations in Bobby’s memory can be made to St. Albans Episcopal Church, Kairos Prison Ministry, 403 Park Road, Lexington, SC 29072, Georgia Tech Alumni Association, 190 N Ave NW, Atlanta, GA 30313 or the charity of one’s choice.

Tributes

Mr. Caldwell Robertson Dial, Jr.

April 6, 1940 - May 6, 2020