Elmer Alexander Gephart of Greenville, South Carolina, died Thursday, July 4, 2024, at Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital in Greenville. He was born on December 26, 1963, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to the late Henry Samuel Gephart, Sr. and Reiko Ishikura Gephart. He was 60 years old.

One of seven children, Alex was born in Minnesota while his father was in the U.S. Army. Alex got to travel as a kid with his family to many places, which may have sparked his sense of adventure. He spent 23 years serving in the U.S. Navy including 4 years on and off the USS Kitty Hawk. He was deployed during the Bosnia and Gulf Wars. Known by his call sign "Boy Scout," Alex was very proud of his service. He went to SERE and JEST survival training and spent 4500 hours on the P3-Orion chasing nuclear subs with his VP-48 Squadron. Alex received the Maint Officer of the Year award, and with a Yankee white security clearance, he was selected as the Maint Officer for the presidential helicopter program.

Alex could spend countless hours talking about his many deployments and out of the way places he traveled to while in the Navy. He always felt fortunate to have been part of the Navy and live an adventurous life. He learned to scuba dive and was always involved in the community wherever he was stationed. He finished out his career working for Lockheed Martin as the Aviation Safety Official in Greenville, South Carolina, with his wife Teresa. Alex loved serving in the U.S. Navy and was proud of what he accomplished. But the most important of his life's achievements was being a husband, a father, and a grandfather. He loved his family very much and will be missed by all who knew him.

He is survived by his wife, Teresa (McFerran) Gephart; his children, Angelea Strother and husband Carl of Greenville, South Carolina, Ryan Gephart and wife Amber of Dover, Florida, and Aaron Jacobs of Van Buren, Arkansas; one granddaughter, Willow Gephart; his three sisters, Victoria Gephart of Louisiana, and Laura Gephart and Catherin Gephart, both of Oregon; and three brothers, Mike Gephart and wife Patty of New Jersey, Sam Gephart of Florida, and Rob Gephart and wife Rosanne of California.

A graveside service, "With Full Military Honors" will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, July 12th at Fort Smith National Cemetery in Fort Smith, under the direction of Brotherton Brothers Funeral Home and Flower Shop in Charleston.

The family will visit with friends from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday evening at the funeral home.

To place an online tribute, please visit www.brothertonbrothersfuneralhomes.com.