Robert Lee Chatham, Jr.

December 8, 1953 - March 8, 2021

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Dedication; that's the word most often used to describe our brother, Bob. For a little more than 67 years, that dedication was evident throughout his life – as an athlete, a gardener, and a chemist. Devotion is another word perfectly suited to him. He was whole-heartedly devoted to his family, his friends, and his church.

But, it was his dedication AND devotion to cancer research that occupied so much of his time over the past ten years. He was determined to understand, and fight against, this terrible disease. It was a battle until the end; and, a battle which we believe he won. Despite a two-year prognosis, his opportunity to participate in several clinical trials allowed him significantly more time to make memories with his loved ones. Those loved ones include his three older sisters – Margaret Ammons of Garden City, Linda Vereen of Myrtle Beach, and Betty Ellison of Lexington – as well as countless cousins, nieces, grand-nieces and nephews, partners, employees, neighbors, and friends.

He spent his whole life in South Carolina – born in Columbia; raised in Cayce and Myrtle Beach; and settled in Greenville. He was a graduate of Airport High, and the University of South Carolina, after which he moved to Greenville and started his lifelong career as a chemist, where polymers were the name of his game. He loved his work, and the relationships he created at the plant were some of his most treasured. He worked alongside those friends as Vice President of CPJ Technologies, Inc., until shortly before his death.

He also never met a green plant that he couldn't save – the results were perched in the bright windows of his home and office. Enormous Christmas cacti, bulbs, ferns, and more; they all thrived under his careful watering and filtration schedule. This love of gardening was passed down from his parents, Robert L. Chatham, Sr., and Mary Lee Bowers Chatham, of Cayce.

He was equally focused on his physical fitness and healthy eating habits. He spent much of his youth playing football, baseball and tennis but after an early broken leg, he switched his focus to soccer, where he excelled as goalie. Adult soccer leagues and pickup games as well as volleyball games, preoccupied his weekends until he was forced to scale back his activities. His treatments also caused him to reduce his gym commitments, but he continued to focus on staying strong and active.

Although he didn't travel as often as he would have liked, he spent many years traveling to the beach for family holidays – sometimes with a trunk loaded down with fireworks for the Fourth of July, and other times, with a trunk loaded down with handmade birthday or Christmas gifts. He also loved to cheer on the Gamecocks, whether from the comfort of his home in Greenville, or from the stadium seating in Columbia.

His faith was also of utmost importance to him. He grew up in the Church, and that devotion continued throughout his adulthood. His home Church, Edwards Road Baptist Church, was only a few blocks from his home, and he so enjoyed visits from his Church family and pastor. From singing in the choir to Sunday sermons and bible studies, his love of the Lord was clear. Although we fervently prayed for another miracle, we are comforted in the knowledge that he is in Heaven, welcomed by his parents, his brothers-in-law, and many friends and family.

He was born on December 8, 1953, and passed away, peacefully, on March 8, 2021. A life well-lived, and a battle well-fought; we will forever be proud of our Sonny Boy, Baby Brother, and Unca Bob. We will miss you, without measure, and can only hope that we loved you well enough.

Thomas McAfee Funeral Home, Downtown is helping with arrangements. To leave a condolence, visit the Tribute Wall tab above.

A private memorial service will be held.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in his memory to The Myeloma Foundation or Edwards Road Baptist Church.

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I met Bob sometime in the early 90’s perhaps in 91 or 92. I first remember seeing him at Gold’s Gym always training diligently. Not long after I met him on the sand volleyball court near his residence. Whether alongside or opposite him on the courts, the first thing I learned and truly admired about Bob was his noble attitude, which was always and constantly on display. If Bob had a down day you would not ever realize it by his demeanor. Instead, every time you saw Bob, you saw a person giving everything that could be given to help his team or his fellow man. He was above any of the pettiness that sometimes we see creep into the activities of our lives. Instead Bob gave us every positive atomic particle of energy possible and he would always share a kind word where others would often go negative. On the court, Bob would spike, set, block, pass, serve and dig up shots that anyone else would just let go. I came to realize that this was more than Bob’s good sportsmanship…For Bob, this was his way of living life.

Heaven is happier and this old earth is sadder. I am guessing that Bob is enthusiastically working in heaven and will be well prepared to show us all around when we get there. Until then, I think Bob would encourage us to keep digging and do not give up on any shots. Thank you, to my friend Bob Chatham!

I met Bob at Pivotal Fitness, years ago. I was amazed to see he was the only guy who came to our Zumba classes - but boy could he move! We remained friends while I was a member there and he always went out of his way to say hello to me and strike up a conversation while we worked out. Bob was a great guy and he will be sorely missed - I am so sorry for your loss.

I have known Bob since I was a teenager and I always referred to him as my other brother. I met Bob through my brother and their love of soccer. Sadly, my brother passed away 4 years ago but Bob was right by my side helping me through my own grief. I sat with Bob several times over the last few years when he was receiving treatment and sending out his updates on his unending research. My heart felt prayers go out to Bob’s family and his many friends. You will be missed by all who had the privilege to know you. R.I.P.

I will forever remember fun times with Bob and friends eating Chicken bog and playing cards. Bob was truly one of a kind!

Margaret, Linda, and Betty,
Our thoughts are with all of you. There is no better gift than love. Your brother knew and shared love with so many. May you hold the memories of laughter to comfort you through the times when tears flood your moments. Tears of thankfulness really, that he was part of your lives. Our gift. Your mama’s joy. Peace to all of you.
Nancy Bell

Peace of mind is a call away. We’re here when you need us most.

I met Bob while living at the same apartment complex in the late 80s. I’ll always remember him for being the guy who was always socializing with his many friends, organizing Gasparilla parties, working out at Gold’s Gym, spending the weekends at the pool, playing soccer and volleyball. Thanks for being my friend. You will be missed.

I met Bob in the early 2000s as he and my sister Debbie were dating. He was a Gamecock and our family were Tigers, but we had a fun time with the rivalry. Bob had a great smile and upbeat personality. He drove one of our vehicles to my parents' wedding 50th anniversary in Greenwood, SC. I always enjoyed seeing and talking to him when I attended Edwards Road Baptist Church with my parents. A while back when I was in Greenville, he came and met me. We had a very enjoyable talk for over an hour. You would have never known that he had an illness as he did not complain. He did a great job with his Wednesday Facebook Updates, keeping us posted on his health journey. He was a very likeable person and a successful business owner. God comfort and bless his family due to this great loss!

I have know Bob for over 40 years. I first met him the first Friday I went to work at EDI. He was working at Owens Corning in Anderson so I didn’t meet him till he came in that Friday with his time sheet. After our first meeting & every Friday thereafter, he would sit in front of my desk & we would talk. It was always close to the end of the day & we had already been talking for a couple of hours. This became a ritual with Bob & I. I even carried him home several times for various reasons. I remember when he had his knee surgery & he came by our office with his mama driving him around. I also remember when he was dating a coworker of ours & he was telling me they were going to have a night on the town. Dinner & dancing befor he was to leave on Sunday for Pittsburgh on a rotation schedule to relieve one of our guys at our U.S. Steel project. He called me early Saturday morning & when I first heard his voice, I thought something bad had happened to them Friday night. Come to find out, his dad had just passed away. He ask me if I could take care of things so he didn’t have to go to Pittsburgh on Sunday. Needless to say, I immediately called the Project Manager & then called the guys in Pittsburgh to have one of them stay until we could get someone else up in Pittsburgh to take Bob’s place. He was needed by his family. No problem. We shuffled people around & took care of the situation. Bob & I shared so many memories & on one of his trips, he even brought his motorcycle over to put in my garage while he was out of town. When Bob left EDI, I was heartbroken because I was loosing my friend to another company. We still stayed in touch & he would still come by the office occasionally. I left Greenville & the company in 1989 to help take care of my sister in Kansas City who had breast cancer. My mama & daddy were helping her & they were 75 years old. So I stayed about three weeks & mama & daddy took back over. About three weeks later, my sister passed away, my only sibling. Bob called me when I got back to offer condolences. I left Greenville again in 1995 to help take care of my parents. On one of my trips back to visit, I contacted Bob & we had lunch & he was telling me about “his” new company. He was in his element. Chemicals. We continued to keep in touch & when I moved back to Greenville, we were still in touch. We would call and make luncheon dates & talk. Got Bob to join me and several of my friends on various different occasions when we went to hear friends play music. We continued this for several years until Bob started getting worse. I kept in touch with him through his biweekly Facebook renditions of his experiences. Then things went from bad to worse. I couldn’t help him or visit him because of the pandemic. Now that I have both of my shots, I was going to go visit but he didn’t last that long. My heart is breaking that my friend of half my life has left this world & now in his heavenly home. I’m glad he is now at peace & without pain. He will always remain in my mind & in my heart as one of my best friends. Bob was one of a kind. Not only a great friend but he was truly one of the good guys. He will definitely be missed.

Delores “De” Snyder-Wallace

Rest in peace Bob, we're surely going to miss you.

I met Bob at Gold’s gym. We became instant friends. He was always there for me. I thought of him as my big brother. He had such a big heart. I will miss him, but will always cherish our memories of going to dinner with the gym group, Friday night parties, Bob was always the host and the planner. Love you Bob! Rest In Peace big brother

I learned a lot about Bob from his introspective Facebook posts, especially his experiences in the infusion room. He fought his disease courageously as well as scientifically. We met when I moved to Cayce as a Junior at Airport High School. I lost track of him after High School when I went to Clemson and later moved to Charleston, but connected again at a High School reunion years later. Since I am a nurse, he was eager to share information about his treatments. He was an all-around nice guy, and he will be missed by everyone who knew him.

Please accept our deepest condolences for your family's loss.