Mark S. Steadman, Jr.

Dr. Mark S. Steadman, Jr. of Clemson, SC, died peacefully Thursday morning of natural causes while surrounded by loved ones.

Mark was an esteemed member of the faculty at Clemson University from 1957 until his retirement in 1997. He was beloved and admired by most of his thousands of students. He taught a wide spectrum of classes at Clemson including The American Novel, American Literature and Twentieth Century Fiction. He also started and taught a course on American Humor and Creative Writing. He was Writer-in-Residence at Clemson from 1980-1997. He was awarded the honors of Alumni Distinguished Professor of English and Writer in Residence Emeritus upon his retirement in 1997.

Mark was Visiting Professor of American Literature at the American University in Cairo where he lived for a year with his wife Jo Steadman and his sons Clay, Todd, and Wade. Subsequently he was granted a Fulbright Lecturer in American Literature at Leningrad State University in 1983 in the former Soviet Union.
In addition to publishing dozens of short stories and articles, Steadman was the author of four novels; McAfee County (which was named Best First Novel of the Year by Britannica Books) A Lions Share (awarded the best work of fiction by a South Carolina writer), Angel Child, and Bang Up Season. Steadman was inducted into the South Carolina Academy of Authors in 2002.

Mark cared deeply about fairness and justice and was active in the Civil Rights Movement of the 60's to help ease the transition of desegregation. He was also an accomplished carpenter who built fine furniture, a boat, and the family home.

Mark was the son of Mark Sidney Steadman and Marie Hopkins Steadman. He is predeceased by his son Clayton and survived by his wife Joan Anderson Steadman and sons Todd and Wade. He has 7 grandchildren: Miranda, Garrett, Charlotte, Angie, Robin, Olivia, and Luca, and 5 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister Elizabeth Burkes of Clemson.

A celebration of his life will take place at 2:30 on Saturday February 22, 2020 at Duckett Funeral Home in Central, SC (www.RobinsonFuneralHomes.com). In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Clayton Steadman Endowment at Clemson University (which honors Mark's late son) by contacting the CU Foundation at 864-656-5896 or sending checks payable to the CU Foundation "for" the Clay Steadman Endowment to PO Box 1889, Clemson, SC 29633.