I am writing this with a heavy heart at the passing of Hayes Samuels.
Hayes and his family have been friends to our family for as long as I can remember. He and my daddy had the unique camaraderie of being both funeral directors/owners and coroners for Clarendon County. They had a very deep love and respect for one another that only comes from the experience of walking in (one another's) shoes.
Those two always had each other's backs, and they were known to get together and ride around the county swapping stories, visiting people, sharing situations they had encountered, relishing a good joke or bouncing ideas off of one another.
Hayes was a true professional in every sense of the word. He brought great honor to and performed the duties of the Clarendon Coroner's Office excellently.
It is a sad day for me, personally having to say goodbye to this devoted, dynamic, hard-working, loyal friend and contemporary. Our working relationship was second-to-none. He will be sorely missed by everyone who had the privilege of working with him and who considered him a "friend."
SHAYNE STEPHENS
Owner, Stephens Funeral Home
Manning
