SCACPA mourns the passing of Austin Moses Sheheen Jr., CPA, of Camden, who died on Saturday, Aug. 29 at age 85. He was born Sept. 11, 1934, to Austin M. Sheheen Sr. and Lucile R. Sheheen.

Austin was the founding member of Sheheen, Hancock & Godwin, LLP, Certified Public Accountants. A SCACPA Member since 1963, he served as Board President in 1987 among his many volunteer roles in the Association.

He was honored among South Carolina’s “100 Influential People in Accounting” during SCACPA’s 2015 centennial and served on the “Thank You 100 Year Committee.”

A profile of Austin in SCACPA’s “History of South Carolina CPAs” publication notes:

In the early decades of the profession, restrictions regarding advertising were very specific. Austin Sheheen recalls a visit from a member of the Board of Accountancy when he opened his practice in Camden (Sheheen’s solo practice later became Sheheen, Hancock & Godwin, LLP, one of the largest locally owned firms in the Midlands).

“When I became certified, I had a very small office, no clients and mainly swept the office and twiddled my thumbs, hoping that a client would come in. My brother decided to give me a gift of gold lead lettering on the office window as a gift for passing the Exam. One day I observed a gentleman outside the window measuring the size of the letters. He finished, came in, and introduced himself as Roy Daniel, a member of the South Carolina Board of Accountancy. He welcomed me into the CPA profession and offered any help that I might need. He explained that the letters could not exceed two inches in height, and since mine did not, I passed.”

Austin also served on the AICPA’s Governing Council and the SC Board of Accountancy. He was a corporate board member of Synovus (National Bank of South Carolina), president of SC Numismatic Association and president of the World Society of Paper Money Collectors.

Other roles included chairman of the Kershaw County Council (1975-1990), president of the Camden Rotary Club, president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, president of the Senior Chamber of Commerce, board member of the Central Carolina Community Foundation, chairman of Historic Camden, trustee of the University of South Carolina Development Foundation, treasurer of the American Numismatic Association, and Brig. Gen. Joint Service Detachment of South Carolina Military Department.

He is survived by his wife, Joan A. Sheheen and his daughters: Teresa Sheheen Ross (Fred), Rhonda Sheheen Hammond (Vernon), Donna Sheheen Watson (Mitchell), Rebecca Sheheen, Laura Sheheen Bradham, Brenda Sheheen Carmon and Amanda K. Sheheen (Michael Sanford); 25 grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren; and his brother, Bob Sheheen. He was predeceased by his mother, Lucile R. Sheheen, and father, Austin M. Sheheen Sr., and brothers Fred and Michael Sheheen.

Kornegay Funeral Home, Camden Chapel, is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to the Sheheen family by visiting kornegayfuneral.com.

Father John Zimmerman will officiate a private service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Building Fund, 1709 Lyttleton Street, Camden 29020 or Food for the Soul, P.O. Box 1591, Camden 29021.

To plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit this Sympathy Store. To send a flower arrangement to the family, please visit this Sympathy Store.

Sources: Kornegay Funeral Home and Legacy.com.