A celebration of the life of Claude H. Huguley, Jr., will be held at 11 o'clock on Tuesday, January 9th, at Shandon Baptist Church. The family will receive friends following the service in the Gathering Place. Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, is assisting the family.

Claude was born in McCormick, SC, on June 7, 1929, the oldest son of the late Claude H. and Laura Lowe Huguley. He graduated from McCormick High School and Furman University. At Furman, he was a member of Blue Key, Who's Who Among Students of American Universities and Colleges, and was tapped his junior year for Quaternion, a leadership organization. Claude was also Editor of the Bonhomie, the student yearbook. After graduation, he served at Furman as Manager of the Alumni Office and Editor of the Alumni Magazine.

He joined the US Navy in 1951 and was commissioned as Ensign after completion of OCS at Newport, RI. Claude served as Communications Officer aboard the USS Marias T-AO57 during the Korean War and completed active duty as Officer in Charge of the Armed Forces Courier Service in Charleston, SC.

After his release from active duty in 1955, he enrolled at USC and received a Master's Degree in Education in 1958. In 1955, he was appointed U.S. Probation Officer with the U.S. District Court of SC and served as Chief Probation Officer from 1975 until his retirement in 1984.

In the meantime, he served in the Naval Reserve Surface Division 6-36 and was appointed Commanding Officer, later retiring from the Naval Reserve with the rank of Commander. He was known for his love of his Country.

Claude also loved his fellow man and through the years he was active in community service. He was a member of the Breakfast Optimist Club since 1961, serving in many capacities, including president and chairman of decorating the State Christmas Tree, in connection with the Governor's Carolighting, a project of the Breakfast Optimist Club. Claude was active in the Alston Wilkes Society, serving on its Board of Directors and President. In retirement, he served in a one-on-one prisoner visitation program for over 25 years, visiting prisoners who had no other visitors. Since 1968, Claude has worked actively with International students through the Columbia Council of Internationals at USC and the program at Shandon Baptist Church. He was chairman of the furniture program, collecting used furniture and delivering it to hundreds of International students over a period of 20 plus years. He and his wife also served as a host family to many students, and in teaching English as a second language.

For his volunteer work, Claude has received awards including "Outstanding Citizen" by the Woodmen of the World, The Mary Mungo Outstanding Volunteer of the Year, Ambassador of the Year awarded by the Columbia International Festival Committee, and the Linda J. Allen service award from the SC Probation and Parole Association.

Claude was a committed Christian and loved his Lord and his church. He was a true gentleman, generous and humble. He was a long-standing member of Shandon Baptist Church and served in many capacities there including Chairman of Deacons, Personnel Committee, Director of Sunday School and Church Training, Prayer Ministry, Homebound Ministry, Internationals Ministry, Senior Choir, and in recent years, as Director of Senior Sunday School Departments. Through the years, he and his wife went on many mission trips in the U.S. and abroad as long as health permitted. He also served his denomination through the Columbia Metro Association and was Moderator and Finance Committee Chairman. Claude was an avid Furman supporter. He enjoyed nothing more than cheering for the Purple Paladins in home and away football games. He and his wife loved to travel, and were able to travel to all seven continents. He truly lived life to the fullest.

He was a devoted family man and will be missed greatly by his beloved wife of 62 years, Virginia Riggs Huguley; his daughter, Laura Putnam and son-in-law, Edgar Putnam; grandsons, John and Tucker Putnam. He is also survived by his brother, Bobby Huguley and wife, Betty, as well as a niece and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son, Scott Holloway Huguley.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Shandon Baptist Church, Global Harvest Mission Ministry, 5250 Forest Drive, Columbia, SC 29206 or Alston Wilkes Society, 3519 Medical Drive, Columbia, SC 29203.
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