COASTAL OBSERVER

February 23, 2023

William Light Kinney Jr. of Bennettsville and Pawleys Island, a veteran journalist, historian, and civic leader, died Feb. 19 at his antebellum home, Magnolia, under his daughter’s care. He was 89.

The lifelong resident of Bennettsville was editor and publisher emeritus of the Marlboro Herald-Advocate, McColl Messenger and The Marlboro Shopper, and former president of Marlboro Publishing Co. Inc. He was a longtime contributor to the S.C. Press Association, was a past president of that organization and president of the SCPA Foundation. He was a founder of the SCPA Hall of Fame. He also authored several historical books and won state and national journalistic awards. 

He was born Oct. 26, 1933, the only child of William Light Kinney and Annie Laurie Mayer Kinney. He was born in the home of his paternal grandparents, Dr. and Mrs. John Frank Kinney, as was his father. 

He was a 1951 honor graduate of Bennettsville High School and editor of the school newspaper. 

He attended Wofford College, as did his father and grandfather, majoring in biology, chemistry, physics and math and graduating in 1954. He was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society, Senior Order of Gnomes and Blue Key Honor Society; edited the college handbook and yearbook; served as student body president; was a member of the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps; sang in the Men’s Glee Club; and was a vice president of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He earned his most cherished distinction, an honorary doctorate of humane letters, in 1999.  

Mr. Kinney attended the University of South Carolina College of Journalism from 1954 to 1955. He edited the college’s laboratory newspaper and later graduated with a degree in journalism in 1977. He served in the Army at Fort Jackson from 1954 to 1958. He then joined his parents in the operation of Marlboro Publishing Co. and in 1972 bought the business. 

While traveling cross-country with a good friend, they stopped in Atlanta to visit friends. There he was introduced to his future wife, Margaret René Pegues. After an 18-month courtship, they married on March 21, 1964. 

Since 1979, Mr. Kinney relished hosting family and friends at the family summer cottage in Pawleys Island. It was named “-30-”, the symbol journalists traditionally used to indicate the end of a story. 

He loved to travel and his highlights included a 1960 trip to the Soviet Union, a summer in England with the Experiment in International Living  in 1963 and a United Methodist medical mission trip to Haiti in 1976.

For over 65 years, Mr. Kinney spearheaded and led community, state and national improvement efforts through his newspaper and personal service. 

He was a lifelong member of First United Methodist Church, where he served as lay leader and had numerous administrative roles. He sang bass in its Chancel Choir for 75 years.

He worked to better his hometown and greater Marlboro County. He served as a Bennettsville city councilman and mayor pro-tempore, as well as a leader and board member of the Kinney Foundation, Whipple Marlboro Fund, county Economic Development Board, Lakeside Residential Development, United Fund, Chamber of Commerce and Jaycees. He was instrumental in the formation of the Marlboro Civic Center Foundation and the restoration of the 1917 opera house and was chairman at the time of his death.

He was a member of the Rotary Club since 1958, served two terms as president, maintained 65 years of perfect attendance, and was twice named a Paul Harris Fellow. 

His passion for history and historic preservation began at a young age. He served as president of the Marlborough Historical Society and chairman of the Marlboro County Historic Preservation Commission and Bennettsville Board of Architectural Review/Tree Committee. He chaired the restoration of several historic buildings including an 1831 home once used as the county courthouse, two schoolhouses and his 1853 home and 1902 former office building.

Mr. Kinney was an advocate of preserving South Carolina’s history. He secured 25 state historical markers within his home county and led major improvement efforts as vice chairman of the Bennettsville Downtown Development Association. He helped secure National Register status for two municipal historic districts. He served as county chairman of the S.C. Tricentennial in 1970 and the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976.

He was also active at the state level in numerous capacities including serving as chairman of the S.C. Archives and History Commission for 36 years and was vice chairman at the time of his death. He also remained chairman of the S.C. Review Board for National Register Nominations. He was past president of the S.C. Historical Society, S.C. Confederation of Local Historical Societies, Friends of Brookgreen Gardens and S.C. Methodist Conference Commission on Archives and History. He also served as vice chairman of the South Carolina Hall of Fame.  He was a board member of the Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation, S.C. State Development Board, Brookgreen Gardens, McLeod Regional Medical Center Foundation, Pawleys Island Civic Association and University South Caroliniana Society.

For 30 years, Mr. Kinney served as a congressional appointee to the board of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress and was chairman for three terms. He was a member of the National Board of Advisors of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and chairman of its Southern Region Board of Advisors for four years. He also served as a director of the Wofford College National Alumni Association and the U.S. Jaycees.

He received the Order of the Palmetto in 2015 from Gov. Nikki Haley. At the same time, Bennettsville City Council named the two entrances of  the municipal parking lot as Bill Kinney Jr. Way.

Other recognitions include being listed in Who’s Who in America since 1982, the USC College of Journalism’s McKissick Award in 1955, being named to the USC College of Journalism’s Diamond Circle in 1998, the National Newspaper Association’s Amos Award for longstanding community service in 2016, S.C. Jaycees Young Man of the Year in 1961, two S.C. Governor’s Awards for Lifetime Achievement in Historic Preservation, being named a Hometown Hero by the S.C. Downtown Development Association, the S.C. Arts Commission’s Elizabeth O’Neill Verner State Arts Advocacy Award, the General Assembly’s Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award and being named Marlboro County Economic Development Ambassador. In 2022, the Marlboro Chamber of Commerce named its annual Community Leader Award in his honor.

He retired from day-to-day operations of the publishing company in 2014, turning over the business to his daughter and her husband. He remained active in religious, civic, advocacy and volunteer efforts until just recently.  He continued to enjoy serving as an enthusiastic walking tour guide for any visitor to Bennettsville, his office or home.

For the past few months, he struggled valiantly with a diagnosis of Parkinsonism and its related complications, all the while demonstrating his strong faith in Jesus Christ, genteel Southern nature and good humor to family and friends.

He is survived by his daughter, Elisabeth Mayer Kinney McNiel (Daniel) of Bennettsville; three grandchildren, Robert Leland McNiel III (Emma) of Chattanooga, Tenn., Margaret Jane McNiel of Knoxville, Tenn., and William Light Kinney McNiel of Wofford College; his great-grandchildren, Robert Leland McNiel IV and Rose Catherine McNiel; his sister-in-law, Frances Elisabeth Pegues Burroughs of Conway; a nephew, Henry Buck Burroughs III (Julie) of Brandon, Fla.; a niece, Victoria McNeill Burroughs of North Charleston; a great-nephew, Henry Buck Burroughs IV; and numerous cousins. 

His wife died in 2021. His son, William Light Kinney III, died in 1989. 

A celebration of his life was held Wednesday at First United Methodist Church. Burial was at Sunset Memorial Park. 

Memorials may be made to the William Light Kinney III ’91 Endowed Scholarship Fund at Wofford College, Office of Advancement, 429 North Church St., Spartanburg, SC 29303.

Condolences may be sent at bfhbennettsville.com.