Ryan Bellman Eklund, 91, of Greenwood, died Sept. 18, 2023.
A native of Orangeburg, he was a graduate of Furman University and served in the South Carolina Army National Guard. After graduating from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., he returned to South Carolina, where he served as pastor of 12 churches and was vice president and later interim president of North Greenville College (now University). He received many honors through the years, including the Legacy Award from the Baptist Foundation of South Carolina and the Order of the Silver Crescent from Gov. Henry McMaster in 2019. He also served on the founding trustee board of Baptist College at Charleston (now Charleston Southern University).
Survivors include two children, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild, with a second one due in October. He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty Galloway Eklund.