Edwin Pearlstine sympathy

2025-2026 Bill 5575: Edwin Pearlstine sympathy - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 5575
STATUS INFORMATION
House Resolution
Sponsors: Reps. Stavrinakis, Bernstein, Wetmore, Alexander, Anderson, Atkinson, Bailey, Ballentine, Bamberg, Bannister, Bauer, Beach, Bowers, Bradley, Brewer, Brittain, Burns, Bustos, Calhoon, Caskey, Chapman, Chumley, Clyburn, Cobb-Hunter, Collins, Cox, Crawford, Cromer, Davis, Dillard, Duncan, Edgerton, Erickson, Ford, Forrest, Frank, Gagnon, Garvin, Gatch, Gibson, Gilliam, Gilliard, Gilreath, Govan, Grant, Guest, Guffey, Haddon, Hager, Hardee, Harris, Hart, Hartnett, Hartz, Hayes, Henderson-Myers, Herbkersman, Hewitt, Hiott, Hixon, Holman, Hosey, Howard, Huff, J.E. Johnson, J.L. Johnson, Jones, Jordan, Kilmartin, King, Kirby, Landing, Lastinger, Lawson, Ligon, Long, Lowe, Luck, Magnuson, Martin, McCabe, McCravy, McDaniel, McGinnis, C. Mitchell, D. Mitchell, Montgomery, J. Moore, T. Moore, Morgan, Moss, Neese, B. Newton, W. Newton, Oremus, Pace, Pedalino, Pope, Rankin, Reese, Rivers, Robbins, Rose, Rutherford, Sanders, Schuessler, Scott, Sessions, G.M. Smith, M.M. Smith, Spann-Wilder, Taylor, Teeple, Terribile, Vaughan, Waters, Weeks, White, Whitmire, Wickensimer, Williams, Willis, Wooten and Yow
Document Path: LC-0269PH-GM26.docx
Introduced in the House on April 23, 2026
Adopted by the House on April 23, 2026
Summary: Edwin Pearlstine sympathy
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

4/23/2026

House

Introduced and adopted (
House Journal-page 3
)

View the latest
legislative information
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VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
04/23/2026

A
house
RESOLUTION

to REMEMBER AND CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF Edwin STRAUSS
Pearlstine Jr. OF Charleston COUNTY AND TO HONOR HIS REMARKABLE COMMITMENT to
philanthropy and community.

W
hereas, born in Charleston,
Edwin Strauss Pearlstine Jr. was the son of Jeanette and Edwin S. Pearlstine
Sr. The family, which included his older sister, the late Jane Pearlstine
Meyerson, lived next to Hampton Park, with his Uncle Milton Pearlstine and two
cousins next door. He graduated from Rivers High School, and attended the
University of North Carolina, and later Tulane University where he met his wife,
Barbara. They returned to Charleston where he joined the family wholesale
grocery store business, I. M. Pearlstine & Sons, established in 1865; and

W
hereas, in 1971, he became
the fourth-generation owner of the family business, when he purchased it from
Milton Pearlstine and changed the name to Pearlstine Distributors Inc. He built
the business into one of the largest privately owned businesses in South
Carolina. When he purchased the business, Pearlstine & Sons sold three
hundred fifty thousand cases of beer annually with only twelve employees. His
daughters and son-in-law took over the business in 1992, and when the family
sold the business in 2012, there were over two hundred employees and annual
sales were nearly seven million cases; and

W
hereas, throughout his
career Edwin treated every person he engaged with as if they were family,
regardless if they were a customer, top industry executive, political friend,
or one of hundreds of employees under his leadership. Edwin made a point to lift
up his employees, enabling families to purchase their first homes, cars, and
send their children to college. Edwin had an amazing capability to remember the
small details and always remained connected to those he met. Pearlstine
Distributor's Wall of Fame was filled with pictures of employees who had many
years of dedicated service to the company, including many twenty-year employees
and one fifty-year employee; and

W
hereas, an active
entrepreneur, Mr. Pearlstine was a partner and owner of the South Carolina
Stingrays and founded a real estate company to develop The Villages of St.
Johns Woods on Johns Island. Mr. Pearlstine's passion for the beer business led
to his investment and ownership in the Palmetto Brewery, the oldest craft
brewery in the State; and

W
hereas, his
entrepreneurial spirit and innate business intuition served him well throughout
his lifetime; however, his greatest legacy will be philanthropy and incredible
commitment to community service. Edwin truly never met a stranger. Edwin was a
proud Charlestonian and active philanthropist, participating in causes across
the Lowcountry and State. Edwin lived by the saying, "service is the price you
pay for the space you occupy." His generosity touched numerous organizations
and individuals; and

W
hereas, his
philanthropy and service to the community extended to his congregation, Kahal
Kadosh Beth Elohim (KKBE) and the America Cancer Society's Hope Lodge; founding
the Hollings Cancer Center's Barbara and Edwin Pearlstine Healing Garden;
establishing the Pearlstine Lipov Center for Southern Jewish Culture and the
Pearl Theatre in the Charleston Stage West Ashley Theatre Center; contributing
to the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital and the International African
American Museum; and founding and contributing to the Coastal Community
Foundation. After Hurricane Hugo, his family annually partnered with Rural
Mission Inc. on Johns Island for decades to provide complete Thanksgiving
turkey dinners for families in need; and

W
hereas, the philanthropy
of Mr. Pearlstine's family was recognized with the Frances Salvador award by
KKBE, and he received the State of Israel's 40th Anniversary Award. He was
awarded the Order of the Palmetto by Governor Mark Sanford in 2008, an Honorary
Doctorate of Humane Letters from MUSC in 2002, the College of Charleston's
Outstanding Alumni Award in 2008, and the Malcom D. Haven Award from the
Coastal Community Foundation in 1999; and

W
hereas, he was a
lifetime member of the Hibernian Society, and a passionate sports fan,
especially of the South Carolina Gamecocks, the College of Charleston Cougars,
and the Carolina Panthers. He served as chairman of the fundraising group to
build the TD Arena for the Cougars. He loved sports fishing and traveled to and
fished in eight countries, taking three trips through the Panama Canal; and

W
hereas, when Edwin
wasn't working or traveling to sporting events, you could find him fishing.
Edwin loved sports fishing and being on his boat - the Budman. He traveled to
and fished in eight countries, and took three trips through the Panama Canal.
Edwin often traveled to the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas where he became a
regular in the Treasure Cay community. He also helped many local Bahamians with
their education, medical care, and housing; and

W
hereas, Mr. Pearlstine
served as president of the South Carolina Beer Wholesalers Association and was a
member of the Wholesaler Panel for Anheuser Busch. He was president of the
Jewish Community Center in 1975, chair of the local Operation Exodus
initiative, and president of the Hebrew Orphan Society in 1981. He served the
State of South Carolina as chairman of the South Carolina State Aeronautics
Commission and chairman of the State Retirement Systems Investment Panel; and

W
hereas, Edwin was
preceded in death by his wife, Barbara, and sister, Jane Pearlstine Meyerson.
He is survived by his two daughters, Susan Pearlstine and Jan Lipov, and Jan's
husband Larry Lipov, who was a loving and devoted son-in-law; his grandchildren
Amy Foster Bower (Joseph), Dana Foster McAfee (Weston), Michael Foster, Edwin "Win"
Pearlstine Lipov, and Halle Langer Lipov; three great grandchildren, Barbara
Pearlstine Bower, Dorothy Williams Bower, and Beau Fisher McAfee; and his
nieces Cathy Meyerson, Ellen Sheridan, and Carol Rice. The South Carolina House
of Representatives is grateful for the life and legacy of Edwin Pearlstine and
for the example of philanthropy he set for all who knew him. Now, therefore,

B
e it resolved by the
House of Representatives
:

T
hat the members of the
South Carolina
House of Representatives
,
by this resolution, remember and celebrate the life of Edwin Strauss Pearlstine
Jr. of Charleston County and honor his remarkable commitment to philanthropy
and community.

B
e it further resolved
that a copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Edwin Strauss Pearlstine
Jr.

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This web page was last updated on April 23, 2026 at 10:59 AM