Friends, family remember New Ellenton's Dr. Jim Bland as generous, caring

Apr. 17—Family and friends of Dr. Jim Bland are remembering the retired physician and Army veteran this weekend as an exceptionally talented man with a variety of local roles, including a mid-life acquisition of a law degree as he continued practicing medicine up through December 2020.

The 85-year-old general practitioner, the husband of Libby Bland, died Tuesday, leaving a legacy as "a professional man and ... a servant ... and a father figure, too," in the words of neighbor and fellow Corinth Baptist Church member Tim Thomas, from the Partridge Bend area between Aiken and New Ellenton.

Bland was an Eagle Scout and a native of Sylvania, Georgia. The funeral is set for noon today at Corinth Baptist, 819 Main St., New Ellenton. Burial, with military honors, will be in the mausoleum of Southlawn Cemetery.

Thomas, a retired Savannah River Site employee, recalled, "He was my doctor. He was my friend. I coached his two youngest boys in baseball, and we celebrated Christmas together, and holidays, and just had a great time. A great relationship. He was just a very loving, sweet gentleman that offered wise counsel."

Bland's obituary in the Aiken Standard noted that the doctor, in 1985, "decided to take the giant leap into the legal profession starting law school at the University of South Carolina in Columbia." Two months later, he and his wife became the parents of twins, en route to establishing a family tree that would include eight children, 17 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Graduation was in 1987.

His wife noted that he went into the legal profession in order to help defend doctors against frivolous lawsuits. He practiced law and medicine thereafter and also became an Aiken County Council member, along with running for Congress in 1992.

Longtime friend Byron Crytzer, a North Augusta resident, recalled a man fond of traveling and ready to provide health care for people who might otherwise miss out on basic services such as flu shots and booster shots.

"He was just a generous and giving and caring man. Had a big, big heart. We're very saddened for his loss ... He just always made us feel at home, and just a fun person to be around," Crytzer added. "He was a great family man."

Among other admirers is Windsor resident Patsy Bunton, who was his nurse for 10 years until her retirement, working for him at his office on Darlington Drive. She described him as "a wonderful doctor and a wonderful friend."

One of Bland's former pastors at Corinth Baptist was the Rev. Brancie Stephens, now at Bethel Baptist in Aiken. Stephens recalled, "I had COVID last year, and I think he contributed to saving my life. He helped me personally, of course ... and he personally checked on me every two or three days while I was sick. He was a very soft-spoken gentleman, but he was very thorough and methodical in everything he did ... I think the world of him."

The late physician's wife made similar comments, looking back to the early 1960s, when he started his medical career. During the course of those five decades, he had eight sick days until he was stricken with COVID, she noted.

"He was a typical Southern gentleman physician, and that quote came from one of the surgeons that had just taken care of him," she added. "He could diagnose anything. His patients adored him."