Doris Wade spent most of her life working at Wofford College.
For many years, Wade, who died on July 16, 2021, was 50% of the business office staff. She was in her teens when she first came to the college, and she retired in 2017 after 63 years on the job.
“She was a constant, familiar, friendly face,” says David Beacham ’77, senior vice president for administration and secretary to the Board of Trustees. “For a lot of years, the sole business office staff was Doris and controller Harold Smithyman, who was an unforgettable quirky character who relied heavily on Doris.”
Beacham first met Wade in September 1973 when he was a first-year who went to the business office to make sure his bill had been paid.
“I can see her standing just inside the front door of Snyder House,” Beacham says. “She was always friendly, polite, efficient and charming, and she helped students, vendors, employees and whomever came to the business office feel welcomed and served.”
Wade was a native of Spartanburg County. She was a lifelong, faithful member of Sharon United Methodist Church.
Chris Gardner, chief financial officer, worked with Wade during the final five years of her career. He says her dedication to Wofford was unmatched.
“She was always quick to learn about others, and her genuine curiosity helped her build easy relationships with students, faculty and staff alike,” Gardner says. “One thing that always comes to mind when I think about Doris was her ability to stir up trouble during our office’s annual ‘white elephant’ Christmas gift exchange, which we have been sorely missing ever since her retirement.”
by Robert W. Dalton