South Carolina H 5575: Sandhills Elementary School 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year – Amy Roland

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 5575 Text of Previous Version (Apr. 23, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 5575

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

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.

Whereas, 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

Whereas, 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

Whereas, 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

Whereas, 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

Whereas, 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

Whereas, 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

Whereas, 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

Whereas, 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

Whereas, 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