John Richard Bidwell

John Richard Bidwell (“Burch”), 91, died December 22, 2020 at Westminster Health & Rehab Center in Rock Hill, SC.

John was born in Erie, Pennsylvania on August 8, 1929 and was raised on his grandparents, Everett and Pearl Ash, farm in Riceville, PA.

In August 1951, he married Beverly Bales, his college sweetheart. They were married for 69 years and died less than a week apart.

He graduated from Slippery Rock State Teacher’s College (now Slippery Rock University) in 1952. Following graduation, he served with the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954.

He and Beverly settled in Bethel Park, PA where they raised their family. John was employed by Duquesne Light Co. for 32 years in positions of increasing responsibilities.

Upon his retirement, they moved to Fripp Island, SC where they lived for 16 years. When they decided it was time to move inland, they moved to Rock Hill, SC, where they have lived for the past 14 years.

John was preceded in death by his brother Bob Bidwell.

He is survived by his children, Daniel Bidwell, Jill McCauslin, and Joyce Hutchinson, his grandsons, Eric Hutchinson and Nick McCauslin (Mary), and his great-granddaughters Emily and Abigail.

John believed strongly in being active in his communities and gave generously of his time to a variety of organizations.

When he was raising his family in Pittsburgh, he served as a vestry member of St. David’s Episcopal Church in Peters Township, PA. He managed Little League baseball teams for many years in Bethel Park, PA.  He also volunteered in the Big Brother program in Pittsburgh.

John volunteered for several organizations in Beaufort County. He helped with the warehousing of materials at the Low Country Habitat for Humanity

John tutored students in reading at St. Helena Elementary on St. Helena Island.

He served as a hospice in-home assistant for a hospice care provider in Beaufort, SC.

John also provided free tax assistance through the IRS Volunteer Tax Assistance at the St. Francis Center on St. Helena Island, SC

For many years, he volunteered as a firefighter on Fripp Island, SC.

Upon moving to Rock Hill, John continued to volunteer in the community. He volunteered at the Rock Hill Habitat for Humanity.

He worked as a volunteer with the utilities assistance program in Rock Hill.

John also served as an enthusiastic volunteer with Meals on Wheels through the York County Council on Aging.

John was an avid sports enthusiast. He played baseball in his youth, followed a variety of sports throughout his life, and eventually took up golf. While enjoying his retirement at Fripp Island, he was active in various gold organizations. He collected and donated golf equipment for many years to a junior golf organization based in Columbia, SC.

A memorial service for both John and Beverly Bidwell will be held at 2:00 PM on January 23, 2021 at Bass-Cauthen Funeral Home, 700 Heckle Blvd, Rock Hill, SC 29730. The service will also be streamed on Facebook Live and then available on the Palmetto Funeral Group Facebook page.

In order to view the service live like the Palmetto Funeral Group Facebook page.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Meals on Wheels through the York County Council on Aging (yccoa.com) or to the York County Library (yclibrary.org/support-the-library).

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