Doug Echols: ‘I’m grateful to have been Rock Hill’s mayor’

Mayor Doug Echols choked back tears Monday evening at city hall.

Looking out at nearly 200 friends, colleagues, family members and Rock Hill citizens gathered in one room to celebrate Echols’ 20 years of service as mayor, the moment resonated with him.

The city’s longest-serving leader is nearing the finish line.

“I’ve only made one promise,” he said, standing in the same council chambers where he began his first term in 1998. “That I would work hard every day to make Rock Hill better. I hope that I did.”

Supporters came out in droves to thank Echols for his public service, including two terms as a city council member.

Gifts flowed freely.

Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) office sent him an official American flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. State Rep. Gary Simrill, R-Rock Hill, presented Echols with the Order of the Palmetto, the highest honor for a South Carolina civilian.

And after several speeches, a few standing ovations and plenty of smiles, the weight of retirement descended on Echols.

“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community,” Echols said, citing a quote by George Bernard Shaw and wiping away tears. “And as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. ... Life is no ‘brief candle’ to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to the future generations.”

When asked why he got emotional, Echols smiled.

“It just all came together, 20 years,” he said. “I hope that it means a lot to others.”

Past, present and future Rock Hill leaders praised Echols. Jim Vining, Rock Hill Schools Board Chair, said he was thrilled with how Echols “jumped at the opportunity” to promote children’s literacy. Vining said because of Echols’ efforts, Rock Hill has more Little Free Libraries than any other city in the state.

John Gettys, who will take over as the city’s new mayor come January, said his favorite memory of the past two decades is when Echols invited U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia to speak at the city’s Martin Luther King breakfast in 2008.

Lewis was a Freedom Rider in 1961, and when the bus stopped in Rock Hill, Lewis and another rider, a white man named Al Bigelow, were beaten by an angry mob. In front of more than a thousand people, Echols apologized, saying that is not Rock Hill.

“He knows every facet of the community,” Gettys said. “He had the sheer will to pull us along with him.”

Outgoing city council member Ann Williamson knew Echols’ wife Sylvia before she knew Doug. Sylvia Echols taught her son Mark at Macfeat preschool at Winthrop University more than 40 years ago.

Williamson, who served alongside Mayor Echols for four years on council, said the couple was excited to spend more time with their grandchildren.

“They’re funny, relaxed, they love having a good time,” she said.

Talking about Sylvia’s husband, she said: “You could not ask for a more gracious person, opening doors for the ladies. He’s an all around American gentleman.”

Sylvia, who also received a standing ovation, heaped praise on the city staff.

“It’s been a wonderful ride,” she said. “We’ve made many new friends, had grand experiences, and had opportunities beyond our belief.”

Echols’ last official meeting as mayor will come Jan. 8. He will call the meeting to order and preside over any old business before Gettys and new city council member Nikita Jackson are sworn in.

What’s next for the Echols’ family? The mayor put on a John Deere cap and told the assembled crowd he’s looking forward to mowing the lawn at his 35-acre family farm in Waynesville, N.C., spending time with his family, and relaxing.

“I’m grateful that my life’s journey has brought me to be your mayor,” he said, just minutes before beginning one of his last city council meetings. “Thank you for the support.”

This story was originally published December 11, 2017 at 7:16 PM with the headline "Doug Echols: ‘I’m grateful to have been Rock Hill’s mayor’."