John DeKoven Pulford

John DeKoven Pulford passed at his home in Columbia, SC. on Friday August 28th. John was born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brasil where he attended the American Graded School during his elementary years, the Fay School for middle school, and Kent Prep School in Kent, both in Connecticut. He went on to earn his BA college degree from Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, MD and his Master’s from Northwestern University in in Evanston, IL.

John chose teaching as a profession. He taught at American schools in Sao Paulo, in Egypt where he met his future wife Margaret (Marsie) O'Brien, in Sri Lanka and in Tehran, Iran. They were present in Tehran is 1979 when the American Embassy was taken over. He was asked by the new government to teach English, which he did, but several weeks later he was assaulted walking back to their apartment. They left the country immediately and moved to St Croix Virgin Islands, lived at Cane Bay, and taught at the Good Hope Country school for 3 years before returning to the United States. He then began his 33-year tenure teaching at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School in Columbia, SC.

John’s passion for teaching, his love for his students, and extraordinary dedication to the Heathwood Hall Highlander community left a lasting impact on generations of kids. They were simply his kids!! “Pulf”, as he was known around campus, joined Heathwood with Marsie in 1983, and spent more than three decades inspiring students through Humanities and U.S. History. He challenged students to think deeply, engage in Socratic seminars, debate literature, and explore American history, but just as importantly, he made sure his students knew they were cared for. He checked in on them, asked how they were doing, and found ways to make even the hardest lessons fun.

John also played an important role in Heathwood’s experiential learning initiatives including Senior Exhibition and the Billy Budd trial and served as longtime chair of the Social Studies Department and leader of the Critical Friends Group. He was a mentor to many of his colleagues and helped shape generations of students, many of whom would go on to identify him as one of their most influential teachers.

Outside the classroom, he was a familiar face at Heathwood football games, a beloved leader of Williamsburg Winterim trips, and an enthusiastic participant in our multilingual chapel. His dedication to teaching was recognized when he was named the SCISA Teacher of the Year in 2005 and received the Devanny Award in 2016. He retired from Heathwood that same year, leaving behind a legacy that continues through the countless lives he touched.

John’s wife of 40 years, Marsie, also a taught at Heathwood as a 4th garde teacher. She preceded John’spassing in May 2021.

John was also preceded in passing by his parents Schuyler and Mary, his aunts and uncles Robert and Arney Pulford and Anthony and Kay O’Neill and younger brother Patrick. John is survived by his older brother Schuyler, and his youngest brother Robert, his sister-in-law Barbara, nephews and nieces Schuyler Jr and his wife Holly and daughter Schuyler, Lisa and her husband Jeff and children Ricky, Matthew. Caroline, Natalie and Aurora, Sterling and his wife Angela and children Charlette and June, Andrea, Sean and his partner Madison, his cousins Rob and wife Linda and daughter Amber, Evelyn and her husband Chuck and son and daughter Arthur and Elizabeth, Wendy and her husband Rich and sons and daughters Kyle R, Mary, Jenn, and Kyle W, Heidi and her husband Steve and daughter Maeve.

The family is hosting a memorial service in Heathwood Hall’s Chapel of the Epiphany on Saturday, October 17 at 2 PM.

Following the service, there will be a quick hardwood tree planting on campus where his and Marsie's ashes will be laid to rest with a plaque.

They loved Heathwood Hall and would be thrilled to have their eternal resting place there.

You were loved, John, by all who knew you and all of us will miss you terribly!!!

We will always remember your famous sign-off: “Peace, Love and Lollipops!”