Joseph "Darin" Haynes

   Joseph “Darin” Haynes, born July 5, 1967, passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on November 21, 2025. He left this world the way he lived in it — loved deeply by everyone fortunate enough to know him.

   He was deeply loved by his wife, Kim, and his daughters, Morgan and Abby. His family’s love for him was immense, and his loss leaves a space that can never be filled.

   He is survived by his wife, Kim; his daughters, Morgan and Abby; his mothers, Veta Hollaway and Debbie Haynes; his brother, Chris, and sister-in-law, Shiela; his nephew, Kevin, and his nieces, Michelle and Brianna. He also leaves behind his pack of beloved animals — dogs Ginger, Betty Sue, and Shelby, and cats Tater, Leonard, Velma, and Elizabeth — all of whom adored him just as much as everyone else did. Darin was preceded in death by his beloved father, Bobby Haynes.

   Darin was the kind of man who never met a stranger. Within minutes of knowing him, you were already laughing, already included, already treated like an old friend. His friends called him Sweet D, and if you ever spent five minutes near him, you understood why.

   Darin graduated from Irmo High School and attended the University of South Carolina. For the last six years, he worked as a business account manager at Segra, smooth-talking entire conference calls until everyone was laughing. Before that, he worked just about everywhere life took him: his mom’s bird shop, a ski shop, an ice cream truck he drove with his best friend, and as a Liberty Tax franchise owner, where he proudly dressed up as both Uncle Sam and the Statue of Liberty — whether it was for advertising or just to make his daughters laugh.

If you were looking for Darin, you’d probably find him:

• cheering on the Carolina Gamecocks (except when he wore Clemson orange for his daughter Morgan’s graduation),

• tending a smoker in the backyard and perfecting yet another barbecue recipe,

• blasting Pink Floyd, Dave Matthews, Cake, Led Zeppelin, Fear, and Les Claypool,

• going to live shows with Kim and their best friends,

• visiting his daughter Abby in New York City to watch her dance, love on her cats (Bug and Birdy), and visit his favorite East Village haunts,

• sitting on the back porch with Morgan, listening to her endless stories about working at the animal shelter, always ready with a word of advice,

• competing in Tuesday night pinball tournaments as the resident pinball wizard, or

• gathering everyone on Darin’s Big Deck — his infamous, enormous back porch — where he hosted gatherings, cracked jokes, and made sure no one ever felt left out.

   He celebrated Festivus every year, never missed listening to Alice’s Restaurant or watching The Last Waltz on Thanksgiving, and somehow won more raffles and drawings than statistically possible. He was a dance dad, a grill master, a loyal friend, and the first person to stand up for someone — even if he’d met them only four minutes prior.

Most of all, Darin showed up. For everyone. Always.

He will be missed fiercely, remembered loudly, and loved forever.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to ABBONDANZA and Pet Helpers.

Plans are being made for a celebration of his life in January; details to come.