Lucy O. "Sandy" Dillard

Lucy Jane (“Sandy”) Owings Dillard, 92, of Columbia, died peacefully at home on March 16, 2019. Born February 18, 1927 at Spartanburg, she was the daughter of Ralph Seer Owings and Josephine Williams Owings. She is survived by three children and their spouses: Rebecca D. Mace and husband, Philip; Jane C. Dillard and husband Rupert Rentz; and Peter F. Dillard and wife, Victoria, all of Columbia, as well as by two brothers and their wives, Drs. Ralph Owings and Pat of Columbia, and Francis Owings and Judy of Atlanta. She was predeceased by her husband of 59 years, Dr. Joseph S. Dillard, and by one son, Joseph O. Dillard. Her mother died when Sandy was three years old, and she lived for a number of years with her paternal grandparents and their five children who treated her as a much younger sibling. As a result she was very attached to her extended Owings family. After her father remarried, she lived with him and her stepmother, Tony. During summers, the family lived in New York City while her father finished his doctorate in education at Columbia. She attended Florida State University and the University of South Carolina. During her college years she acquired the nickname “Sandy,” the name by which many of her friends knew her. Sandy was a spirited, engaged and engaging person. Many friends and neighbors will remember Sandy’s open door hospitality, and her Saturday Soups at home were so popular among the friends of her children that occasionally they had to post a “no vacancy” sign. All of her life, her warmth, generosity and curiosity created communities of people of all ages and interests who otherwise might never have met each other. She was named a “Live Wire” by the old Columbia Record newspaper for her contributions to Columbia. Her own interests were wide and varied, including art, music and literature. She and her husband, Joe Dillard, were founding members of Workshop Theater, The South Carolina Pelican Society, and early supporters of the Columbia Museum of Art and Riverbanks Zoo. In 1976, after her children were grown, Sandy started a business, a gift shop and furniture store, Madison Hall, which was successful as a business and as a social center due to Sandy’s welcoming personality. She continued to run the store for the next 35 years. Sandy was a faithful congregant and volunteer at St. Martin’s In-The-Fields Episcopal Church where she especially enjoyed the music program. Funeral services will be held at the church Tuesday, March 26th, at 11 o’clock, followed by burial in the churchyard and a reception in the parish hall. Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, is assisting the family. In lieu of flowers, please donate to St. Martin’s or to the charity of your choice.

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Lucy O. "Sandy" Dillard

February 18, 1927 - March 16, 2019