Mrs. Patricia Hutto Dukes

Patricia Hutto Dukes, 92, of Columbia, died on October 5, 2025. Born in Swansea, SC, on September 23, 1933, she was a daughter of the late Crosson Cradelle Hutto and Pearl Spradley Hutto Sharpe. Pat graduated from Swansea High School and then attended Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC where she earned a degree in P.E. and Biology. After a brief stint of working as a P.E. teacher post-graduation, she moved to Augusta, GA, seeking a change of pace. It was there that she met her future husband and love of her life, Charles Dukes, Jr., at a church dance. Charles and Pat courted for a mere six months before tying the knot on June 1, 1958. Shortly after the wedding, the couple sold their Augusta home and relocated to Columbia. There they started a home improvement business. Like many women of her time, she worked tirelessly to support her husband’s business endeavors. After 58 years of dedication to the business, Pat retired. She then decided to fully immerse herself in her creative and spiritual sides. Soon, she became active with the Shepherd’s Center of Columbia and also The Friendship Organization. Pat was a woman of strong faith and she loved her church. She had been a member of FLPC for more than sixty years. Pat loved to write poetry and short stories inspired both by contemporary events and her life experiences in the South. She couldn’t wait to get to the Shepherd’s Center each Wednesday. She loved to share her new writings with her friends there. With a great sense of humor and quick wit, someone was always laughing. Her family will remember her ever-enduring tenacity, her work ethic, intelligence and pragmatism. Even in her final days, she kept finding new books to read and new questions to ask. Pat is survived by her three children, Ed Dukes (Rose) of Charleston, Rebecca Dukes of Columbia and Paul Dukes of Columbia; her three grandchildren, Taylor Dukes of Denver, Paul Huggins of Columbia and Austin Dukes of Ridgeland; and three great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Dukes, Jr.; and her brother, Rudolph Milton Hutto. The funeral service for Mrs. Dukes will be held at 11 o’clock, Monday, October 13th, at Forest Lake Presbyterian Church, 6500 N. Trenholm Road, Columbia, with the Rev. Dr. Ellen Skidmore officiating. Burial will follow in Elmwood Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5 until 7 o’clock, Sunday, at Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, 7600 Trenholm Road Ext., Columbia. For those unable to attend, the service for Mrs. Dukes will be livestreamed at FLPC.org. The family would like to give special thanks to the kind and compassionate nurses and caregivers at National Healthcare, Parklane and Abby Road Hospice. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Shepherd Center of Columbia.

Tributes

Mrs. Patricia Hutto Dukes

September 23, 1933 - October 5, 2025