Dr. John Howard Hegley

Dr. John Howard Hegley, 87, husband of the late Mary Jane Hegley of Hanahan, SC, passed away on Wednesday, February 21, 2018.

He was born in Pittsburgh, PA, the son of the late Oliver Hegley and the late Mary Jane Green Hegley Hannon. Dr. Hegley, DDS, received his Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Dental Surgery degrees from the University of Pittsburgh, PA, completed the Naval Dental Postgraduate School in Bethesda, MD, earned a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Prosthetics in Norfolk, VA and completed additional courses in dental and maxillofacial prosthetics. He served in the US Navy and Naval Reserves for approximately 30 years and retired as a Captain. His active duty stations included the USS Bon Homme Richard at San Diego, CA; the Naval Weapons Plant, Washington, DC; Camp Lejeune, NC; Naval Station Norfolk, VA; USS Simon Lake at Holy Loch, Scotland; Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA; Naval Base Charleston, SC; and Naval Regional Dental Center, Philadelphia, PA. In the mid-1950s, while serving in the Naval Reserves, he also owned a private dental practice in Pittsburgh, PA where one of his patients would later become his wife of over 53 years. He enjoyed projects that involved designing inventions; building structures; repairing almost anything; sewing; vegetable and daylily gardening; and in his earlier years, oil painting on canvas.

He is survived by his daughter, Amy Hegley Knight (Coleman, predeceased) of Mt. Pleasant, SC; his sister-in-law Marian Wilbar (George, predeceased) of Pittsburgh, PA, sister-in-law Eleanor Fennell (William, predeceased) of Valdosta, GA, brother-in-law Robert Wilbar (Jan) of Leesburg, FL; his two grand-daughters: Deanna "Mickey" Knight Robertson (Delon) of Ravenel, SC and Melissa Knight Stanley (George) of Summerville, SC; his seven great-grandchildren: Daniel, Leeanna, and Madison Robertson of Ravenel, SC, Ryan Stanley of Hartford, TN, and Hannah, Cameron, and Curtis Stanley of Summerville, SC; his numerous nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews; his "adopted daughter" Catharine Bowers and his long-time best friend, Stanley Cichorz. In addition to his wife and parents, he was predeceased by his brothers Oliver L. Hegley and Robert Hegley.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 3, 2018 in J. HENRY STUHR, INC., MOUNT PLEASANT CHAPEL, 1494 Mathis Ferry Road at 2:00 pm. The family will receive friends at the Mount Pleasant Chapel from 1:00 pm until time of the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Dr. Hegley's name to a charitable organization of choice.