Elder Walter Irby

.Lover of God, Brilliant, Comical, Leader, Father and Brother, Devoted Friend, Mentor, Nurturer, Lover of history and people and a Devout Christian…ALL describe Elder Walter R. Irby. He was born in Greenville, South Carolina on August 18, 1927, to the late Leviona B. Irby Sr. and Minnie Choice Irby. He was the first of four children born of this union.

Elder Irby’s “W.R.” as he was called by his family and friends) life was built on Christian principles and he grew up in his younger life learning about faith and faith’s journey, something that would guide him all of his life.

Elder Irby credited his paternal grandmother, the late Lillian Irby, for teaching him the reverence for God and the Lord’s Prayer which sustained him over the years. He was baptized and he accepted God as his savior at an early age.

Some of the people Elder Irby has shared his Christian faith with over the years have continued to be involved in the ministry after finding that the Christian faith could help them overcome their problems. Many have taken on leadership roles in the ministry, teaching bible studies in the different communities and getting involved in other areas of the ministry.

Due to circumstances at an early age, he dropped out of school but he never let the disruption deter him from attaining many life sustaining lessons. He received his basic education within the Greenville County School System. He enlisted in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC Camp) where he received further education and vocational training while serving in this training camp.

Elder Irby enlisted in the United States Coast Guard and the Navy at a young age. He served from 1946 - 1948. He was very inspirational and studied the bible diligently during his enlistment. After Elder Irby’s honorable discharge from the Armed Services, he relocated to Springfield, Massachusetts.

A self-taught preacher, he was ordained in 1962 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He has preached in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C, Virginia, North Carolina and his home state, South Carolina.

He met and married Hazel Bennett in Springfield. The marriage was short lived and no children were born of this union. He then moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for a short period of time where he continued his teachings. He met and later married Evelyn Matthews and to this union, two daughters were born, Waltina and Willette. Willette died of a heart defect a short time after her birth and Waltina died in a drowning accident in Greenville, South Carolina.

Over 25 years, Elder Irby worked in the cotton textile industry. During this time, Elder Irby began the Upper Room Ministry and used it as a platform to help the homeless, strangers and the needy.

The Upper Room Church of God in Christ held prayer and bible studies each Tuesday at 7:30 pm. The purpose of the service was to assist the elderly, sick and indigent with contributions of food, clothes, recreation and monetary aid. Also, he founded the Upper Room Jail Ministry. He started his prison ministry working alone, but then recruited six people to work in this program. Elder Irby began by walking to the jails and to the meetings with officials in different cities.

Many of his sermons were published in Focus News and as letters to the editor in the Anderson and Greenville newspapers. He also made television and radio appearances.

“We, as parents, encourage our youngsters sometimes to indulge in criminal and outlaw acts,” he said. “For we start by giving them water pistols and cap pistols until they are large enough to fire the actual deadly weapon. It begins at home by playing cowboys and Indians.”

One of his hobbies was keeping scrapbooks about interesting activities that happened in the area and then taking them to the prison inmates so they could keep up with what was happening.

Some advice he gave in his messages:

*Always say less than you think because the way you say
often counts more than what you say.

*Be concerned about others, their goals, their welfare,
laugh with those who laugh, cry with those who cry.

*Do not swear to God to do any of His sacred things.

*Do not use filthy talk or lie, do not commit adultery,
do not kill, do not steal.

*If you have a quarrel with anyone, forgive them as Christ
forgave you.

*Do something to build yourself up, rather than destroy
yourself.

*A child who is not properly trained is easy to lead astray.

*We should avoid night clubbing and riotous living.

*Our jails and penitentiaries are filled for the lack of
Correction.

*Do not turn to the bottle because it only makes things
Worse.

*We drank for happiness and became unhappy. We
drank for joy and became miserable. We drank for
sociability and became argumentative. We drank for
medicinal purposes and acquired health problems. We
drank for relaxation and got the shakes. We drank to feel
Heavenly and ended up feeling like hell.

Elder Irby made an impact on many lives and his teachings are known throughout the South. He will truly be missed. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts.

Elder Walter R. Irby made a peaceful transition on July 29, 2018, following a long struggle with failing health.

Elder Irby’s wife, Evelyn; twin daughters; Waltina and Willette, brothers, Leviona, Jr., and Charles; preceded him in death.

He leaves to mourn his cherished memories and the legacy of his life, a loving sister, Doris Irby Hunt (Emmett) of Cleveland, Ohio; five nieces; two nephews; a devoted special friend, Valerie Terry; and a host of cousins, other relatives and friends.