When someone you know passes away, one of the first things most people want to do is learn when and where the services will be held. If the family has chosen Bostick-Tompkins Funeral Home in South Carolina, the obituary is usually the best place to find those details, along with a short story about the life that is being honored. This guide explains how to find Bostick Tompkins Funeral Home obituaries, what you can expect to see in them, how to reach each of the three locations, and how families can work with the funeral home to share a loved one’s story in a clear and respectful way.
About Bostick-Tompkins Funeral Home
Bostick-Tompkins Funeral Home, Inc. has served families in South Carolina since 1988. According to the funeral home’s own website, its goal is to care for families with dignity and respect, using quality service, complete professionalism, and true compassion during life-changing events. Over the years it has grown to serve three communities: Columbia, Sumter, and McCormick. Families in the surrounding areas also use its services.
Because the funeral home works across more than one town, an obituary may mention a service in Columbia, a visitation in Sumter, or a burial near McCormick. Knowing that the funeral home has three separate locations helps you understand why service details can differ from one obituary to the next.
Where to Find Bostick Tompkins Funeral Home Obituaries
The most reliable place to read a Bostick-Tompkins obituary is the funeral home’s official website, bosticktompkinsinc.com. The site has a dedicated Obituaries section that lists the families the funeral home is currently serving as well as earlier notices. Starting here is a good habit because the information is posted by the funeral home and is the most likely to show the correct dates, times, and places for services.
If you are looking for one particular person, it helps to search by the full name rather than a nickname, since the official notice will usually use the legal or most common name. Adding the town, such as Columbia, Sumter, or McCormick, can also make a search on the website or in a search engine more accurate. If a notice does not appear right away, it may simply mean the family has not finished the arrangements yet, so it is worth checking again later or calling the funeral home directly.
The funeral home also keeps a Facebook page, which some families and friends use to follow announcements and share kind words. A phone call to the nearest location is another dependable choice when you need to confirm a time or an address quickly.
A Word of Caution About Unofficial Websites
If you search for these obituaries online, you will probably notice many websites that use the funeral home’s name in their titles but offer little real information. Some of these pages are automatically generated, repeat the same general paragraphs, or mix details from unrelated notices. They can be confusing at a time when clear facts matter most.
For service times, locations, and family wishes such as donations in place of flowers, it is wise to rely on the funeral home’s own website or on a direct phone call. Treating the official notice as the main source helps you avoid showing up at the wrong place or on the wrong day.
What a Bostick-Tompkins Obituary Usually Includes
Every family is different, so every obituary is different, but most notices follow a familiar pattern. They usually begin with the person’s full name, age, and hometown, along with the date of passing. Many then tell a short life story, which may include where the person grew up, the schools they attended, the work they did, the church or community groups they cared about, and the hobbies that made them smile.
Most notices also list the closest family members, such as a spouse, children, siblings, and grandchildren, and sometimes mention loved ones who passed earlier. The final section typically explains the service plans. This can include the date and place of a funeral or homegoing service, a time for visitation, and the cemetery for burial. Some families add a line about where friends can send flowers or make a donation.
Reading an obituary with this structure in mind makes it easier to find what you need. If you only want the service details, look near the end. If you want to remember the person, read the life story slowly, because that is the part families often write with the most care.
Contact Details for Each Location
The funeral home lists the following addresses and phone numbers on its website. Calling the location closest to the family is usually the quickest way to confirm details.
| Location | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 2930 Colonial Drive, Columbia, SC 29203 | 803-254-2000 |
| Sumter | 353 Manning Avenue, Sumter, SC 29153 | 803-848-4002 |
| McCormick | 6300 Highway 28 South, McCormick, SC 29835 | 864-852-3160 |
Each location also has a fax number listed on the website for official paperwork, which most visitors will not need. If a death has just occurred, the funeral home asks families to begin by calling the Columbia number, 803-254-2000, and says that its team is available around the clock.
What to Do When a Death Occurs
Families who are facing a loss for the first time often do not know where to begin. Bostick-Tompkins explains on its website that you do not have to handle everything alone, and that a funeral director will help coordinate the details once you come in to complete the arrangements. The first step is to call the funeral home and share a few basic facts, such as the full name of the person who died, where they are now, and the name and contact information of the next of kin. The staff will also ask whether a pre-arranged funeral plan already exists.
After that call, the funeral home sets an appointment to finish the arrangements. The website suggests bringing clothing for the person who passed away, their birth date and place of birth, their parents’ names including the mother’s maiden name, and details about their education and marital status. A recent photograph is helpful, and so is cemetery plot information if the family already owns a plot. Veterans’ families should bring the discharge papers known as the DD214.
The same page offers practical reminders for the days that follow. These include contacting clergy to choose a time and place for the service, asking the funeral director how many copies of the death certificate will be needed, and arranging for relatives or close friends to take turns answering the door and phone at the home. It also encourages families to notify the bank and insurance companies, locate the will, review death benefits, and let creditors and utility companies know when needed. Having this list nearby can bring a little order to a very heavy week.
How Families Share an Obituary Through the Funeral Home
Many people do not realize that the funeral home can help with the writing itself. Bostick-Tompkins states that one of its directors will assist the family with writing the obituary and will submit it to the newspaper. The website also provides a Family Obituary Information form that families can fill out ahead of time, which makes it easier to gather names, dates, and memories before sitting down with the funeral director.
If you are preparing a notice, it can help to start with the facts that readers will look for first, such as the full name, age, and date of passing, and then move on to the life story. Writing about what the person loved, how they spent their days, and what others will remember about them gives the notice warmth that a list of dates cannot. It is also a good idea to ask another relative to read the draft before it is published, because small mistakes in spelling or relationships are easy to miss when emotions are strong.
Services Offered by Bostick-Tompkins
An obituary often mentions the type of service the family has chosen, so it helps to understand the options. The funeral home describes four main paths. A funeral service allows family and friends to comfort one another and celebrate a life, whether the family chooses burial or cremation. A memorial service is similar but may take place soon after the death or weeks later, with or without an urn present, and it can be held at the funeral home, at a final resting place, or at the family’s home.
Burial can include an immediate burial without a public service, a visitation or wake with an open or closed casket, a service at the funeral home, a church, or a private home, and a graveside service at the cemetery. Cremation offers more flexibility in timing and place, and families may hold a traditional service before cremation or a memorial afterward. The urn can be kept, buried, or placed in a columbarium, and the ashes can be scattered if the family prefers. The funeral home also carries caskets, vaults, urns, and burial containers.
Pre-Planning Your Own Arrangements
Some people choose to make their wishes known long before they are needed. The funeral home’s pre-planning page explains that arranging your own service reflects your exact wishes, lightens the burden on loved ones, and can prevent disagreements among family members. It also notes that pre-payment can protect against rising prices and keep the cost from falling on those you leave behind. An online pre-arrangements form is available on the website, and the staff is glad to meet with you to talk it over.
Planning ahead can include writing down a few lines for your own obituary, such as the details you would like included and the people you want to be named. Doing so gives your family a clear starting point when the time comes.
Military Funeral Honors for Veterans
Many obituaries mention that the person served in the armed forces, and families often ask whether military honors are available. The funeral home’s veterans page explains that the basic Military Funeral Honors ceremony includes the folding and presentation of the American flag to the family and the playing of Taps, performed by an honors detail of at least two members of the armed forces. Eligibility generally includes people who served on active duty and left under conditions other than dishonorable, as well as certain members of the Selected Reserve.
To confirm eligibility, the preferred document is the DD Form 214. If the family cannot find it, the website says other discharge papers showing service that was not dishonorable may be used, and that a copy of the DD214 can be requested from the National Personnel Records Center. The site also has separate pages about veterans’ headstones and burial flags for families who want more information.
Sending Flowers and Finding Support
When you read an obituary and want to show you care, the funeral home’s website includes a Send Flowers option, and it lists Brides & Blooms Florist at 3017 Farrow Road, Suite A, in Columbia as its preferred florist. Checking the obituary first is wise, since some families ask for donations or kind notes instead of flowers.
Support does not have to end after the service. The funeral home offers a grief support program in which you can sign up with your email address to receive a short supportive message each day for a year, and you can unsubscribe whenever you wish. For many people, a quiet daily reminder that they are not alone can be a small but real comfort during the months that follow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I read recent Bostick Tompkins Funeral Home obituaries?
The best place is the Obituaries section of the funeral home’s official website, bosticktompkinsinc.com. You can also call the Columbia, Sumter, or McCormick location to confirm service details.
How do I know which location is handling a service?
The obituary normally names the place of the service, and the funeral home’s website lists all three addresses. When in doubt, call the number for the nearest location.
Can the funeral home help me write an obituary?
Yes. The funeral home says its directors help families write the obituary and submit it to the newspaper, and a Family Obituary Information form is available on the website.
Who should I call first after a death?
The funeral home asks families to call 803-254-2000 and notes that it is available 24 hours a day.
Does Bostick-Tompkins offer cremation and pre-planning?
Yes. Its services include burial and cremation, and it offers pre-planning with an online pre-arrangements form.
What documents help prove a veteran’s eligibility for military honors?
The DD Form 214 is preferred, although other discharge papers showing non-dishonorable service may be accepted.
Final Thoughts
Obituaries do more than announce a loss. They give friends, neighbors, and relatives a place to gather their thoughts and a clear path to the services where they can offer comfort. For families served by Bostick-Tompkins Funeral Home, the official website and a simple phone call to the nearest location remain the most dependable ways to find accurate details, while the funeral directors can guide those who need help writing, planning, or simply knowing what to do next.
Disclaimer
This article is provided for general information only. It is based on details published on the Bostick-Tompkins Funeral Home website at the time of writing, and addresses, phone numbers, services, and procedures can change. This article is not written by or affiliated with Bostick-Tompkins Funeral Home, and it does not replace advice from the funeral home or from legal, financial, or medical professionals. Please confirm all service times, locations, eligibility rules, and costs directly with the funeral home before making decisions. The article does not reproduce or comment on any individual obituary, and any person’s obituary should be read on the official notice published by the family and the funeral home.
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I’m Muhammad Ubaid, founder of YBR Magazine. I research and write detailed guides on America’s National Parks — covering entry fees, permits, best times to visit, and planning tips — using official NPS sources and up-to-date information.
