Funeral Services for Terrence D. Culbreath will be Saturday, December 10, 2022 at the Rosa Spring Baptist Church where the Reverend Winston Oliphant is Pastor. Reverend Lorenzo Williams will officiate the services. Interment will be in the church cemetery.
Terrence Culbreath, was born in Richmond County, Georgia, on January 7, 1983. He was the son of Luke Jones and Jackie Culbreath.
Terrrence “Tee” Culbreath departed this earthly life on December 4, 2022 at the age of 39.
He was a graduate of the Strom Thurmond High School.
He was a native of Johnston and left the small town after high school to chase his dreams. Terrance was granted a scholarship to the NASCAR school in Mooresville, N.C. After finishing the program, he decided to pursue music, which was his long-term passion.
Instead, he earned a degree in audio engineering from Full Sail University in Florida and began making connections in the Atlanta music industry scene. An internship at Stankonia Studios turned into a full-time job, where he started as an engineer and eventually began producing music. He helped record “Royal Flush” by OutKast and Raekwon, which was nominated for a Grammy, and later placed his first big record with Big Boi’s “Tangerine.”
Culbreath’s personal pursuit of happiness landed him in incredible places. He has done everything from working for NASCAR to producing Grammy nominated songs. During his travels he gained a unique worldview and eventually made his way back to Johnston with a passion to make an impact in his hometown.
Terrence D. Culbreath led the city of Johnston for 10 years, two as councilman and 8 as mayor. Mayor Terrence Culbreath served as the 13th Mayor of Johnston, South Carolina. Mayor Culbreath is the youngest mayor ever elected in the Town of Johnston at age 31 and is the youngest 2 term mayor in the state of South Carolina. Mayor Culbreath used his time in office with the mission of “Moving Johnston Forward”;, by focusing on economic development, investments in recreation and quality of life. Prior to his election as mayor in 2014, Culbreath served two years on Johnston Town Council where he focused on improving both the Public Works and Police Departments as well as community infrastructure to attract new businesses and residents. Terrence serves on a wide variety of boards and community organizations including, MASC (Municipal Association of South Carolina) Executive Board of Directors (Columbia, SC), and as an Executive Committee member SCCBM (South Carolina Conference of Black Mayors) to name a few. In addition to his work with the Town of Johnston, Mayor Culbreath sought to cultivate relationships with local churches, community organizations and stakeholders such as Edgefield County Schools, and Edgefield County Peach Growers to build his coalition of true Johnston believers.
“Distance creates distortion” is a quote by Pastor Carl Lentz that Culbreath lived by. This specific quote hits home for him because he says that “It tells a lot about how we live and interact with the world today. So many people have opinions or points of view on people, issues and subjects but they are so far from that their point of view is distorted and sometimes even toxic.”
Outside of his day-to-day duties as mayor, Culbreath explored his other passions. A little-known fact, he actually owns a photography company (Culbreath.Photography) and a political consulting firm (Eighty3 Media & Consulting). He also recently founded “The Culbreath Group,” offering services in all 50 states that included public relations, nonprofit consulting, and project management. As you can see, Mayor Culbreath embodied the role of a renaissance man and a future statesman.
Culbreath also served as political director for the 2020 Presidential Campaign of U.S. Senator. Cory Booker, D-N.J. Booker said Monday his last memory of Culbreath will be the sweatshirt Culbreath wore when they met a couple of days before Culbreath died.
“ He helped lead my presidential campaign; and when I last saw him about 48 hours ago, he was wearing a sweatshirt that I had given him with the words of a poet I love on it, “ Booker said in a recorded video. “It will be my last memory of seeing him, and it was so fitting. What it said was simply: Real leaders lead with love.”;
Booker called Culbreath a heroic leader with a magnanimous heart. “ He was one of these leaders that didn’t tell you how great he was but made you feel great, that didn’t lift to elevate himself but was focused on elevating others, Booker said.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Betty Culbreath and James Langford.
He leaves to cherish his memories to his mother, Jackie Culbreath Smith (Jonathan Henderson), Johnston, SC; his father, Luke Jones, Bettis Academy, four aunts, Vickie Culbreath, Augusta, GA, Sharon Rouse, Edgefield, SC, Elizabeth Jackson, Aiken, SC, Jozell Dobey (Adell), Trenton, SC; 5 uncles, Barry Culbreath (Pat), Tampa, FL, Glenn Culbreath, Johnston, SC, Virgil Culbreath, Johnston, SC, Robert Jones (Diane), Trenton, SC, Jack Jones, Aiken, SC; God Parents, Ann Williams (James Jones), Johnston, SC, special son, Isaiah Dennis, Savannah, GA; special friends, Ryan, Rashad, Kipp, Marcus, Zach, Vick, Willie Joe, Mr. Joe Fulmore; special cousins, Korey Williams, Tevin Culbreath, Carlos Culbreath, Darnell Culbreath, Shane Culbreath, Lavina Culbreath, Janay Morin, Mariah Culbreath, Keyonna Culbreath, Dalevon Culbreath, Allen Culbreath, Roger Culbreath, Travis Culbreath, LaNiydia Culbreath, Nicole Williams Mance, and a host of other family and friends.
