Dr. Julius Edward Thigpen

On December 25, 2024, Dr. Julius (“Jimmy”) Edward Thigpen passed away peacefully, daughters by his side, at Prisma Health Richland Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina, after suffering a stroke December 17, 2024. 

Julius was born November 16, 1937, to James (“Jim”) Edward Thigpen and Lillie Greene Thigpen.  He grew up in a small farming community known as Hebron or Barrineau located outside of Lake City, South Carolina. Julius was one of ten children and the youngest of the five Thigpen boys. The Thigpen children were raised in Newtown Free Will Baptist Church.

Julius is survived by Kelly Anne Thigpen (daughter) of Cumming, Georgia, Graham Thomas Goodrich (grandson), Jessie Elizabeth Goodrich (granddaughter), Drake Matthew Goodrich (great grandson), Taylor Salmonsen (granddaughter),  Julia Thigpen Clark (daughter) and Andrew Jordan of Wilmington, North Carolina, Caroline Lillie Clark (granddaughter), Ashley Anne Clark (granddaughter), and Avery James Clark (grandson); Janelle Thigpen Cooper (daughter) and Ryan Cooper (son-in-law) of Clayton, North Carolina, Julius Mason Cooper (grandson), Bradley Cooper (grandson), and Breanna Cooper (granddaughter); Joanne Holladay (sister), JV Holladay (brother-in-law), Janet Thigpen (sister-in-law), Dorothy Ann Thigpen, the mother of his children, and many nieces and nephews. 

Julius is preceded in death by his parents, Jim and Lillie Thigpen, his granddaughter, Madison Deanne Cooper, and eight of his siblings, Aline McKenzie, Letha Welch, Juanita Welch, Elizabeth Camp, Clarence O. Thigpen, Jesse Thigpen, Mervin Thigpen, and James Carlisle Thigpen.

Julius graduated from Hebron High School in 1956. As a young man, Julius learned to work hard. He milked cows and collected eggs before school.  He spent summers harvesting tobacco and other crops on the farm.  He shelled peas and beans and harvested pigs and chickens for family meals. He drove a school bus to earn spending money. Julius was challenged with hearing loss as a young boy but he did not allow that to stop him.

After high school, Julius left the farm to study at Clemson University.  He was the first and only one of the Thigpen children to attend college. He was encouraged to do so by his father and his older brother, Carlisle, his best friend. Julius was awarded a scholarship and graduated with the Class of 1960 with a B.S. from the Agricultural Department, Animal Sciences.  He loved his Clemson Tigers.

After obtaining his B.S., Julius continued his studies at the University of Tennessee. While in Knoxville, Julius met Dorothy Ann (“D.A.”) Wall while D.A. was a nursing student.  They married in 1962 after courtship.  In 1963, Julius obtained his Masters Degree in Dairy Nutrition from UT.

Julius and D.A. moved to Jackson, Mississippi, to further their education.  Julius worked at Ole Miss as a graduate assistant while completing his Ph.D. in Microbiology.  They began their family in Mississippi with Kelly’s birth in 1967.

In 1972, Julius went to work for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (“NIEHS”) in the Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Julius ran the Quality Assurance Laboratory, which was tasked with providing quality assurance data to the Comparative Medicine Branch at NIEHS.  While at NIEHS, Julius authored or co-authored approximately 75 publications. Julius conducted studies on variables that could affect animal research studies. He became known as an expert of sorts on animal diets and bedding, etc. Julius’s most significant scientific work at NIEHS was in detecting and understanding the role of Phytoestrogens in rodent diets. (Estrogenic substances in rodent diets may influence animal growth, diseases, tumor rates, reproductive performance, and the results of toxicological, carcinogenicity and estrogenic studies.) Julius retired from NIEHS after more than 40 years of service. 

Julius and Dorothy raised their family in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Julie was born in 1970, and Jan was born in 1975.  The family attended the First United Methodist Church in Cary, North Carolina.  Julius and D.A. enjoyed dear friends and neighbors in Medfield.  The Medfield Road folks were like extended family. There were many meals shared and special memories made.  Julius and D.A. both liked to dance and cut up on occasion. 

Julius valued family. He had high expectations of his girls. At the same time, he was a loving and supportive father who was there to cheer his girls on, and later his grandchildren, whether the event was a softball or tee-ball game, a swim meet, a tennis match, a dance or cheer competition, a hockey game, or a piano recital. Julius proudly coached all three girls in softball.

Julius also loved to cook. This was a Thigpen thing; evidenced by the Thigpen Family Cookbook he created.  Julius was well known for his pig pickings and hushpuppies.

Like many of his generation, Julius was known for not throwing anything that could be of use (or recycled for a different use) away.  This is not an exaggeration and this behavior became somewhat comical, though admirable. Julius was a good provider and selflessly, sometimes stubbornly, went without himself.  

Julius remained active and vibrant for his 87 years.  After retirement, Julius returned to the Thigpen homeplace and his farming roots, planting pecan trees, grape vines, blueberry and blackberry bushes, tomatoes, squash, and Irish potatoes. Julius became a member of Barrineau PH Church, where he matured in his faith and personal relationship with Christ. Julius diligently took notes on every sermon and was known to share what he learned with his girls on Sunday night phone calls. 

Julius was most at peace when he was in the woods.  His father taught him how to hunt and how to shoot.  And, for that reason, Julius loved it.  He was known to be a pretty good shot, as well as a good storyteller.  Later in years, Julius hunted less, but he still attended to his deer stand and spent hours in the woods cutting back sweet gum trees and putting out corn for the deer.

In his last years, Julius was blessed again with the gift of love. He reconnected with his high school sweetheart, Jeannette Dukes. Julius and Jeannette were the best of friends and enjoyed Thursday dinner date nights and reminiscing about childhood memories. Even better, Jeannette became a Clemson fan.

Finally, the family sends a special thank you to the staff at the Prisma Health Richland Neuroscience ICU for their kindness during Julius’s care following his stroke.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Turbeville Children’s Home, turbevillechildrenshome.org, or the Wounded Warrior Project, WOUNDEDWARRIORPROJECT.ORG.

The family will receive friends 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM, Sunday, December 29, 2024 at Barrineau Pentecostal Holiness Church.

Funeral services will be 3:00 PM, Sunday, December 29, 2024 at Barrineau Pentecostal Holiness Church.  Burial to follow at St. James Cemetery.

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