Ernest Ward Avinger Jr.

Ernest Ward Avinger, Jr. 57 of Holly Hill, South Carolina, husband of Alice West Avinger, passed away on Thursday, March 27, 2025 with his family at his side.

Funeral Services will be held at Holly Hill Methodist Church at 3:00PM on Sunday, March 30, 2025 officiated by Reverend John Elmore and Reverend Cooper Stonestreet. Burial will follow in the Avinger Family Cemetery Highway 6, Santee, SC. Pallbearers will be Trey Avinger, Hanks Avinger, Frank West, Stokes Brownlee, Lance Brownlee, Troy Brownlee, Tom Hutto, and David Walling.

The family will receive friends from 4:00-6:00PM on Saturday, March 29 at Avinger Funeral Home.

Ward was born in Charleston, South Carolina to Doris June Rickenbacker and Ernest W. “Buddy” Avinger. He was a 1986 graduate of Holly Hill Academy, a 1990 graduate of The Citadel, and a 1991 graduate of Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service. Ward was an active member of Holly Hill Methodist Church and a current board member of Farmers and Merchants Bank of South Carolina. He was a former board member of Holly Hill Academy and the South Carolina Board of Funeral Service. He was the former owner and manager of Avinger Funeral Home.

Survivors include his wife of the home; his parents of Holly Hill; sons Ernest Ward “Trey” Avinger, III (Caitlin) of Branchville, SC and Hanks Howard Avinger of Holly Hill, SC; grandchildren Caroline and Hunter; a sister June (Troy) Brownlee of St. George, SC; mother-in-law Francine West of the Providence Community; brother-in-law Frank West (Lisa) of St. George; niece, Dr. Abbie West; nephews Stokes and Lance Brownlee. He was preceded in death by a brother, John O. Avinger.

Memorials may be made to Holly Hill Methodist Church PO Box 398, Holly Hill, SC 29059 or Avinger Family Cemetery c/o Suzann Infinger 2121 Highway 15 North, St. George, SC 29477.

Expressions of sympathy may be viewed or submitted online at avingerfh.com/.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Avinger Funeral Home, 2274 Eutaw Rd, Holly Hill, SC 29059, (803)496-3434.