Reverend Gene McAllister

Reverend Clarence Eugene (Gene) McAllister, Jr., 74, of Scranton, husband of Margaret Miles McAllister, woke up rejoicing on the streets of gold, January 16, 2018, after a brief, but courageous, battle with cancer.

Funeral services will be 2:00 PM on Friday, January 19, 2018 at Bible Outreach Church in Lake City, SC with burial to follow at Lake City Memorial Park.

The family will receive friends from 6:00-8:00 PM on Thursday, January 18, 2018 at Carolina Funeral Home and at other times at his residence.

Mr. McAllister was born in Florence, SC on August 21, 1943, youngest son of the late Clarence and Angie Young McAllister.

He was involved in ministry for 45 years, and since December 1996 has been the pastor of Bible Outreach Church in Lake City, SC. During this time he also enjoyed a successful career in finance, spanning 36 years, where he earned the respect of his employees and clients alike. He will be remembered for his steadfast faith that never wavered, his incredible capacity for love, his tremendous dedication to his congregation, and for being a family man who said numerous times as he neared the end of his life, “Family is so very, very important.” He cherished all of his children and grandchildren, and affectionately always referred to Margaret as “the love of my life.” He never let a day pass without showing his family, through both his words and actions, how very much he loved them.

He was a man of integrity whose very life was his testimony. He was witty, generous, compassionate, and had an impeccable memory and knack for storytelling. He regularly took time to remind us that “God has blessed us beyond measure,” and his sermons always included reminders of God’s precious and unconditional love for us. He was a selfless man, and his time, even at the end, was spent constantly praying for others. Gene McAllister absolutely could not have loved his Savior or his family any more than he did, and his absence will be felt every single day.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 42 years, Margaret Miles McAllister of the home; his children Tracey (Jerry) Coward and Christy (Curtis) Flowers of Scranton, and Amy (Hank) McAllister-Skinner of Lake City; his grandchildren, Jeremey Coward, Adellia Coward, Anna Cate Beard, Maggie Skinner, Abigail Flowers, and Cheyenne Flowers; his sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, and numerous nieces and nephews; and his favorite furbaby, Heidi. Mr. McAllister was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Elton McAllister.

Memorials may be made to Amedisys Hospice Care, and the family would especially like to thank the staff, especially Winona Hyman, for the tremendous care provided for all of them during this time.

The family would be remiss if they did not take this opportunity to share what Gene had always considered to be one of the greatest messages of hope in all of the Bible—a scripture he quoted often—1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.”

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