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Sumter, SC ….. Donald "Old Man" Lawrence McElveen, Sr., age 74, beloved husband of 55 years to Judy Knotts McElveen, passed away peacefully on Monday, September 7, 2026, at his home, surrounded by his family.
Born in Sumter, SC, and raised in Sardinia, Donald was the son of Leslie McElveen and Chessie Marie Hill McElveen. Donald was a hard worker and spent his entire adult life working as a roofer. When he wasn’t working, you could find him fishing or bottle digging with his children and grandchildren. He loved watching and following NASCAR, but his true joy in life came from spending time with his family, especially his children and grandchildren. He will be remembered as a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.
In addition to his loving wife, Donald is survived by; two sons, Donald Lawrence “Bubba” McElveen and wife Heather “Mary”, and Daniel Lee “Rat” McElveen and wife Jennifer; two daughters, Sherry Lynn Teal, and Linda Fowler and husband Michael; fourteen grandchildren, Allison McElveen, Thomas McElveen, Michael Fowler, Amber Teal, Julia Coite, Donald McElveen, III, John Teal, Jace Fowler, Chessie Bigelow, Christian Barksdale, Chandler McElveen, Brady McElveen, Nathan Barksdale, and Daniel Lee McElveen, Jr. and 18 great grandchildren.
In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his granddaughter, Bella McElveen, his son-in-law, Trent Teal; three brothers, James McElveen, Shine McElveen, and Howard Dance and a special nephew, Glenn McElveen.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at 3:00 pm in the Bullock Funeral Home Chapel, with Rev. Charles Hall officiating.
You may go to www.bullockfuneralhome.com and sign the family’s guest book.
The family has chosen Bullock Funeral Home for the arrangements.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Donald Lawrence McElveen, Sr., please visit our floral store.