Gary Philip Dexter

Gary Philip Dexter of Aiken died peacefully on Friday, September 21st. He was born in the old Aiken County Hospital on November 9, 1953. Gary loved life and he filled it with a diversity of rich and fascinating interests and pursuits, including silversmithing, scrimshaw, photography, painting, growing orchids, raising pigeons, canoeing, pottery, and music. He was also an intrepid explorer who loved to travel the back roads and was ever-appreciative of the seasonal beauty, history and culture of the southern landscape. Gary never met a stranger, and enjoyed an immense circle of friends.

     He was a welder by profession and was for years head of the welding department at Aiken Technical College. Despite the many physical challenges put in his path, he could do most anything he set his mind to. He was self-taught in many musical instruments but the fiddle was his favorite, at which he excelled. He played in a local bluegrass band, “1854”, and when his fingers could no longer manage the fiddle, he turned to the piano. During his Tryon, NC years, he played keyboard with a band at several local venues and events.

     Gary had a voracious appetite for knowledge and research, with the applied arts, the natural world and local history holding particular fascination.  One would be hard-pressed to find a topic about which Gary didn't know at least something. These interests led to his researching the then-lost art of Edgefield-tradition folk pottery -- a form that is unique to our area and uses native materials. He spent months researching and exploring the old pottery sites, then rolled up his sleeves and got to work He dug his own clays, taught himself to throw pots, and figured out how to build himself a groundhog kiln. He turned out a large body of work that is in collections across the country and around the world. Gary taught pottery workshops from his studio at Enterprise Mill in Augusta and at the Aiken County Historical museum. His expertise was well-respected, and he was featured in the PBS series, "History Detectives." 

     This barely scratches the surface of the story of Gary Dexter, a story that would take volumes to tell. 

     Gary was the beloved son of Arthur and Maxine Dexter and leaves to miss him dearly his mother; his sister, Laura Lance; his brothers, David Dexter (Silvia Drews), John Dexter (Faye Dowling), Jeff Dexter; his friend, Micheal Aiken, who became a 4th brother to him; his step-son, Shane Varnadore; his aunt Mary Lou Harrold and uncle Stephen Henderson; four nieces, Wren Dexter (Charles Padgett), Kathryn Dexter (JT Legg), Hannah Dexter, and Glynnis Dexter (Phillip Matthews);one nephew, Eric Dexter Lance; three grand-nieces, Clara Padgett, Maxine Padgett, and Lila Lloyd; a grand-nephew, Ian Dexter Matthews. Gary also leaves behind his much-loved yorkie, Buddy. 

     A celebration of Gary's life will be held at a later date at the chapel at Ramsey Creek Preserve in Westminster South Carolina. Memorials may be sent to the South Carolina Nature Conservancy at 1417 Stuart Engals Blvd., Suite 100, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 or www.nature.org/sc.

SHELLHOUSE – RIVERS FUNERAL HOME, 715 EAST PINE LOG RD., AIKEN, SC