Allen Garfield

Allen Garfield, 90 years of age, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away on June 13, 2025. Born April 12, 1935, in Charleston, South Carolina, Allen was the son of the late Louis Garfield and Gussie Oberman Garfield.

Allen attended James Simons School and graduated from Rivers High School in 1953. In 1957, he graduated from The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, obtaining a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. He then attended the University of South Carolina School of Law and received a Juris Doctor degree in 1960.

Fiercely patriotic throughout his life, Allen proudly began his military career in 1953 upon enrolling at The Citadel. In his junior year, he received the Field Artillery Award. As an upperclassman, he attended General Military Science ROTC Summer Camp at Fort Benning, Georgia. Following college graduation, he attended Army Ordinance School at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, having completed the Officer Basic Course. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve Ordinance Corps. Upon his retirement from the Army Active Reserve, he attained the rank of Captain.

As a Citadel cadet, Allen was a member of the Economics Honor Society and YMCA Council. While in law school, Allen served on the Editorial Board of the Law Quarterly and published scholarly articles in the school's Law Review. He also served as Treasurer of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity.

On April 12, 1961, Allen's 26th birthday, he was sworn in as a member of the South Carolina Bar. For the next six years, he operated a solo law practice on Broad Street and then relocated to Church Street. During these years actively practicing law, Allen simultaneously assisted his father with the operation of Garfield Jewelry Company on King Street. By 1967, after the birth of his third child, Robert, he phased out his law practice to join his father in the family jewelry business on a full-time basis. During this time, Allen would blithely describe his employment status as being either a lawyer or a jewelry store manager, depending on the time of day one saw him.

In Allen's nearly 50 years of dedication to his family business, he single-handedly built a highly successful enterprise, which at one time expanded the downtown business into locations in West Ashley, James Island, and North Charleston. In doing so, Garfield Jewelers became a local household name and developed a consumer base that extended well beyond the Lowcountry.

However, it was the loyalty of his customers and friends that gave Allen his greatest professional satisfaction. For decades, graduating seniors from The Citadel would converge on the store to avail themselves of Allen's honesty, experience, and trusted counsel for wedding engagement purchases. It was also a common occurrence for those who had relocated to other parts of the county and returned to Charleston to visit and conduct business with Allen.

Dear to Allen's heart was his lifelong passion for music. At the age of 15, already skilled in the clarinet, he was invited to perform with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. Throughout high school, he played both the clarinet and saxophone in dance halls all over Charleston. He participated in state competitions, where he was once ranked as the number one clarinet player in the state. During his tenure at The Citadel, he was a member of Band Company, the Concert Band, and the Bagpipe Corps. In his college years, Allen would warmly recall performing at President Dwight Eisenhower's Inauguration Ceremonies as well as honoring the last surviving widows of Confederate soldiers at Magnolia Cemetery.

Allen’s heart was a Lowcountry heart. Having a lifelong affection for all things Charleston and The Citadel, he revered every aspect of his hometown and alma mater, including its rich traditions and history. He was a collegiate member of the Charleston-Citadel Club. He remained active and supportive throughout his life, participating in alumni activities, with a special fondness for attending Friday dress parades and band concerts. For nearly seventy years, Allen was a fixture in the stands, cheering Bulldog athletic teams to victory.

For many years, Allen was a member of the Charleston Exchange Club, the Executive Association of Greater Charleston, and the King Street Merchants Association. He was also a congregant of Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim.

He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Suzanna Garfield (nee Hill), his children Carol Goldberg of Charleston, Brenda McConnell of Melbourne, Florida, and Robert Garfield and his wife, Dolly, of Columbia, South Carolina. Also surviving are his four grandchildren, Alexa and Katie McConnell, Megan Goldberg, and Lila Garfield, as well as one great-grandchild, Stella Goldberg. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Doris Fisher.

A graveside service will be held Sunday, June 15 at 1:00 p.m. at Huguenin Avenue Cemetery in Charleston. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Arrangements by J Henry Stuhr Inc., Downtown Chapel.