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John Edgar Bourne Jr.

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Birth	:	4 Dec 1927 Conway, Horry County, South Carolina, USA
Death	:	11 Jan 2018 North Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina, USA
Burial	:	Carolina Memorial Park, North Charleston, Charleston County, USA
Coordinate	:	32.9281006, -80.0408020
Description	:	Former North Charleston Mayor John E. Bourne Jr., the father of the state’s third-largest city, died Thursday morning. He was 90. "His health just took a downward turn," said his daughter, Mary Bourne Bos. Bourne died just after 9 a.m., surrounded by his family at the assisted-living facility where he had been living, she said "He was the guy back in the day, and he was the guy right up to the end," she said. "He was still talking yesterday about all he had done and the places he had traveled." Asked last year what it... Read More	Former North Charleston Mayor John E. Bourne Jr., the father of the state’s third-largest city, died Thursday morning. He was 90. "His health just took a downward turn," said his daughter, Mary Bourne Bos. Bourne died just after 9 a.m., surrounded by his family at the assisted-living facility where he had been living, she said "He was the guy back in the day, and he was the guy right up to the end," she said. "He was still talking yesterday about all he had done and the places he had traveled." Asked last year what it was like to see a bronze bust of himself in a quiet park near the North Charleston Coliseum, alongside a bust of current Mayor Keith Summey, Bourne laughed and said, “It means you’ve lived a long time.” Bourne, a real estate company owner, created the city in 1972 after three previous attempts by others had failed. He served as mayor until 1991, when he was defeated by Bobby Kinard. A former state senator and member of Charleston County Council, Bourne concentrated incorporation efforts on the North Area’s core around Park Circle, where the enthusiasm to create a city was strongest. He purged the voting rolls of the dead and those who had moved away to get a true vote of the residents’ sentiments and successfully challenged the super majority rule that required support from 51 percent of all registered voters. Under the law, a no-show counted as a “no” vote. The move to incorporate found its way before the S.C. Supreme Court, where on June 2, 1972, a favorable decision led to the city being chartered 10 days later. It immediately became the state’s ninth-largest city with 21,000 people. During the city’s 25th anniversary celebration in 1997, Bourne wrote, “I remember so well that on my way home from Columbia the full impact of the event registered with me. I was mayor of the ninth-largest city, but we did not have 5 cents in the treasury.” Last February, at his home near Park Circle, in what would be his last interview with The Post and Courier, Bourne reflected on his hard-fought battle to wrest control from the legislators and appointed local officials who had dominated North Area politics. “I created a government from scratch, literally,” he said. “I’m proud of this city. And I know that without me, I don’t think it would have happened.” In a video posted Thursday on North Charleston's Facebook page, Summey said, "John was the type of mayor that we needed in that first timeline. ... But more than anything, he gave North Charleston a voice that has been heard throughout the tri-county region and the state." In his two decades as mayor, Bourne steered the city’s growth to more than 70,000 people, rising to the state’s third-largest in population, largely through annexations of the old Navy base and Charleston Air Force Base and areas farther north. It also rose to first in retail sales, a distinction it still holds. A feisty mayor brimming with self-confidence, he also steered the city through troubles with North Charleston Public Service District and the Cooper River Parks and Playground Commission. He helped close down bars and nightclubs in the seedy Reynolds Avenue area. During his tenure, voters approved funding to build the coliseum and a city golf course. Former Charleston Mayor Joe Riley said Thursday that Bourne leaves a proud legacy. "His accomplishment in providing leadership to create the city of North Charleston was remarkable," Riley said. "He was a hard-working, dedicated person, and I had great respect and admiration for him. Obviously, we had differences of opinion on issues from time to time, but I always respected his work." Bourne’s undoing as mayor came in the late 1980s when he instituted the controversial policy that all police officers had to live in the city. Around that time, City Councilman Richard Ganaway, then the only black elected to council, led a movement to change the city's election method from at-large to single-member districts to gain fair representation. Bourne was neutral on the issue, but the voters approved it. In 1991, they voted Bourne out of office after the U.S. Justice Department rejected the city’s single-member district plan and postponed its 1990 election. Most recently, Bourne served as a member of the Charleston County Board of Elections and Voter Registration for more than a decade, stepping down last May. "His knowledge of North Charleston was an invaluable asset to our operations," said Board Chair Christie Companion Varnado. "With his calm and gentlemanly demeanor, John was an excellent ambassador of the board’s mission at polling locations and at board meetings. It was an honor and pleasure to serve with him." Among his survivors are two daughters, Mary Bourne Bos and Carol B. Toman. He was predeceased by his wife of 65 years, Blanche Holt Bourne, and a son, John E. Bourne III. The family will receive friends from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday at the Felix C. Davis Center, Park Circle, North Charleston. A Service of Remembrance will be held at 2 p.m.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is John Edgar Bourne Jr.'s memorial?
John Edgar Bourne Jr.'s memorial is located at: Carolina Memorial Park, North Charleston, Charleston County, USA.
When did John Edgar Bourne Jr. death?
John Edgar Bourne Jr. death on 11 Jan 2018 in North Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina, USA
Where are the coordinates of the John Edgar Bourne Jr.'s memorial?
Latitude: 32.9281006
Longitude: -80.0408020

Family Members:

Parent

John Edgar Bourne

(1903 - 1968)

Mary Thelma Bland Bourne

(1908 - 1987)

Spouse

Blanche Holt Bourne

(1932 - 2014)

Siblings

Robert Franklin Bourne

(1932 - 2014)

Morris Bourne

(1940 - 2008)

Children

John E. Bourne III

(1958 - 2010)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Carolina Memorial Park
North Charleston, Charleston County, USA
Coordinate: 32.9281006, -80.0408020

2. Johnson Cemetery
North Charleston, Charleston County, USA
Coordinate: 32.9268990, -80.0507965

3. Sunset Memorial Gardens
North Charleston, Charleston County, USA
Coordinate: 32.9300003, -80.0569000

4. Bee Cemetery
Hanahan, Berkeley County, USA
Coordinate: 32.9474100, -80.0182100

5. Shield of Faith Church Cemetery
Goose Creek, Berkeley County, USA
Coordinate: 32.9341930, -80.0063240

6. Greater Bethel AME Church Cemetery
Goose Creek, Berkeley County, USA
Coordinate: 32.9352930, -80.0063160

7. Oak Grove Baptist Church Cemetery
North Charleston, Charleston County, USA
Coordinate: 32.9019012, -80.0199966

8. Yeamans Park Presbyterian Church
Hanahan, Berkeley County, USA
Coordinate: 32.9135320, -80.0037600

9. Bethel A .M. E. Church
North Charleston, Charleston County, USA
Coordinate: 32.9015300, -80.0134200

10. Saint James Goose Creek Cemetery
Goose Creek, Berkeley County, USA
Coordinate: 32.9754400, -80.0326100

11. Yeamans Hall Plantation Cemetery
Goose Creek, Berkeley County, USA
Coordinate: 32.9268990, -79.9783020

12. Trinity Missionary Baptist Church
Goose Creek, Berkeley County, USA
Coordinate: 32.9814970, -80.0320500

13. NMC 1
Goose Creek, Berkeley County, USA
Coordinate: 32.9510713, -79.9736998

14. Pet Rest Cemetery & Cremation
Goose Creek, Berkeley County, USA
Coordinate: 32.9908490, -80.0362330

15. Saint Peter's AME Church Cemetery
North Charleston, Charleston County, USA
Coordinate: 32.8778343, -79.9947891

16. Rivers Cemetery
Goose Creek, Berkeley County, USA
Coordinate: 32.9866400, -80.0063980

17. Union Baptist Church Cemetery
North Charleston, Charleston County, USA
Coordinate: 32.8713900, -80.0004900

18. Historic African American Cemetery
Saint Andrews, Charleston County, USA
Coordinate: 32.8708354, -80.0826019

19. Castle Cemetery
Charleston County, USA
Coordinate: 32.8807983, -80.1025009

20. African American Cemetery
Saint Andrews, Charleston County, USA
Coordinate: 32.8655640, -80.0809940

21. Joshua Baptist Church Cemetery
North Charleston, Charleston County, USA
Coordinate: 32.8593254, -80.0129166

22. Promiseland Missionary Baptist Church
North Charleston, Charleston County, USA
Coordinate: 32.8581619, -80.0125046

23. Moore Family Cemetery
North Charleston, Charleston County, USA
Coordinate: 32.9048744, -80.1247598

24. New Zion RMUE Church Cemetery
North Charleston, Charleston County, USA
Coordinate: 32.8540580, -80.0185270