Dr. Gaillard Waterfall

Dr. Gaillard FitzSimons Waterfall “Gail” of Newberry, South Carolina died on April 19, 2020. He was 88 years old. Born in 1932 to Charles Hardy and Katherine FitzSimons Waterfall in Columbia, SC, he grew up in Shandon and attended St John’s Episcopal Church.

He graduated from Dreher High School in 1950. From the University of South Carolina, he earned his BA, MA, and PhD in English. He continued with post graduate studies at Columbia University in New York.

Dr. Waterfall served in the U.S. Army from 1955 to 1957 and was stationed in Germany as a forward observer. Here he began his teaching career.

Following the Army, he taught high school in Stark, Florida and then at St. Andrews Parish, South Carolina. In 1964, he began teaching at Newberry College as a professor of English which spanned over three decades until his retirement in 1997. He served as English Department Chair at Newberry from 1977-1988. He was also the editor of Studies in Short Fiction literary magazine. He represented the college in the Modern Languages Association, South Atlantic Modern Languages Association, the National Counsel of Teachers of English, and (serving as vice-president) the South Carolina Association of Departments of English. He received an award from the Newberry College Student Government Association on behalf of the thousands of students he taught.

Dr Waterfall was a noted Civil War Historian and avid poker player. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club of Newberry and the Newberry County Historical Society. He was a member of Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church in Newberry for 48 years.

Dr. Waterfall is survived by his wife, Lorraine (Piedy) Mahaffey Waterfall; brother, Dr. George Howard Waterfall of Atlanta, GA, two sons: Charles FitzSimons Waterfall of Columbia and Christopher DeLoache Waterfall (Kathleen) of Nokesville, Virginia, and three grandchildren: Daniel Lyons Waterfall, Sheridan Katherine Waterfall, and Robin Georgina Christiane Waterfall.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm, Sunday, July 11, 2021, at the St. Luke's Episcopal Church by the Rev. Mother Mia McDowell. A private family burial will be held in Elmwood Cemetery in Columbia. The family requests that those wishing to do so make a donation in his honor to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church,1605 Main Street, Newberry, S.C 29108..