Breece Dexter Pancake (1952 - 1979)

Born 29 Jun 1952 in Milton, Cabell, West Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Died 8 Apr 1979 at age 26 in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Sandy Patak [send private message] and Appalachia Project WikiTree [send private message]

Breece Pancake was associated with Appalachia. Join: Appalachia Project Discuss: Appalachia

Biography

Breece Pancake is Notable.

Breece Pancake was a West Virginian.

Breece was an Author

Writer. His collection "The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake," published posthumously, is considered by many a high-water mark of 1980's American fiction. Often referred to as the Best Author you never knew.

Breece Dexter Pancake was born on June 29, 1952 in Milton, Cabell, West Virginia, United States, son of Clarence "Wicker" Robert Pancake (1917–1975) and Helen Jean Frazier (1922–2014). He passed away in 1979.

He was an avid Outdoorsman and known to befriend many.

Pancake's work features a host of hard-working characters facing increasingly dire economic circumstances mostly pulling from experiences in North Central and South Central Appalachia. Often referred to as a "Hillbilly Hemingway".^[1]

Pancake died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Charlottesville, Virginia. According to a friend, Foster Douglass, "One cannot consider Pancake's work without probing his tragic death. Douglass points out that, in hindsight, there were many indications of Pancake's suicidal longings," such as the act of giving away many personal items, including his guns, with the exception of the Savage over-under shotgun he used to end his life.

"I'm going to come back to West Virginia when this is over. There's something ancient and deeply-rooted in my soul. I like to think that I have left my ghost up one of those hollows, and I'll never really be able to leave for good until I find it. And I don't want to look for it, because I might find it and have to leave.

Sources

1. ↑ Murphy, Mike (2017-06-26). "American Myth: The Short, Beautiful Life of Breece D"J Pancake". The Millions.

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18548/breece-d'j-pancake: accessed 22 July 2022), memorial page for Breece D'J Pancake (29 Jun 1952–8 Apr 1979), Find a Grave Memorial ID 18548, citing Milton Cemetery, Milton, Cabell County, West Virginia, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.
• "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J2HT-H6G : 8 January 2021), Breece Pancake, Apr 1979; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).

See Also:

• FamilySearch Person: GMWM-RL3
• Wikipedia:Breece D'J Pancake
• Wikidata: Item Q3644176, en:Wikipedia
• Biography of Breece D'J Pancake, West Virginia Weslyan College