Ms. Sarah Covington Rice

Sarah Covington "Chubby" Rice, 96, of Columbia died Tuesday July 30, 2024. Born Dec 1, 1927 in Bennettsville SC, the only child of Francis Harllee and Sallie Fisher Covington. She grew up one door down from her 2 old maid aunts, who along with her parents held her to high expectations of achievement. Every summer was spent at her beloved Camp Kanuga where she received her forever nickname of "Chubby". There she met "Jimmy", James Henry Rice IV of Charleston SC when they were about 12 years old. Their friendship grew each summer. In 1943 Kanuga honored her with the "Camp Spirit Girl" award. After innumerable back porch dances, basketball games, cheerleading, field hockey, piano recitals including performing Rachmaninoff for her senior recital, and among many church activities, Chubby graduated Bennettsville High in 1945. She attended and graduated from St. Mary's Episcopal School and Converse College in 1949. This same year, she and Jimmy married. They lived in Greenville where she worked at the Department of Social Services until 1952 when their first daughter Sarah Wayne was born. Shortly after, they moved to Florence SC where they became Charter Members of All Saints Episcopal Church. Being a "cradle" Episcopalian, Chubby was actively committed to the flourishing of All Saints by giving her time and many talents to the Altar Guild, teaching Sunday School, leading Jr. Choir, being the substitute organist, on the flower committee, chairing the church bazaar etc. Chubby's interests and passion to participate extended to many clubs and associations such as the DAR, Florence Jr. League, Gay Gardeners Garden Club (55yrs.) Florentine Dance Society, Athorian and Caprician Dance Clubs, The Sierra Club, The Red Hat Club and probably more! As an exemplary agent of civic duty, Chubby volunteered for 13 summers to teach swimming for the Red Cross. She firmly believed everyone should know how to swim. Once she pulled a drowned boy from the bottom of the pool and resuscitated him back to life with CPR. For 15 years, Chubby's Girl Scout troops were guided to complete their own community works filling their sashes with golden badges, selling Girl Scout cookies, going on wild camping trips, expeditions of snow skiing and Disney World. Chubby loved and supported the Florence Arts scene. She attended the Florence Symphony Orchestra and the Florence Little Theatre always coming away thrilled and filled with excitement of the performances. She supported the Florence ballet school with sewing tutus and costumes along with driving a shuttle service for the students. One highlight for her was playfully bounding across the stage in a snowman costume she made for one of the ballet school performances. With midlife came the blow of gradual and then complete blindness. Chubby chose to bravely weather this drastic change by independently creating her own adaptations for living alone. With determined grit she transcended her disability by continuing to engage people with every exchange. Her open heart, genuine curiosity, and interest in others lent to her being a confidante to many. She continued her passions amidst going blind, letting nothing stop her from having fun. Laughter was a golden thread woven into her connections with all those she met and knew. Her blindness made her not a victim but more visionary. At 80 years young, Chubby's move to Still Hopes created another set of family and friends with residents and staff alike! On her first day moving to nursing care, when asked about her profession, she responded “ I was a professional…. shoplifter!” Her inner comedian enjoyed entertaining those around her. She is survived by her four daughters. Sarah Rice (De Nash) of Seattle, Nancy Rice Denton (Ken), Kennesaw, Ga, Frances Harllee Rice of Seattle and Marguerite Rice McLeod (Frank) of Columbia, will be amiss without their very unique and amazing mother. Chubby's nine grandchildren; Matthew Bryan, Sarah Antonucci (Tony), Julia Denton, Madelyn Rice-Pelepko, Rosa Rice-Pelepko, Sallie Gravley (Nic), Frances Anne and Daisy McLeod, share this sentiment. She was pre-deceased by her granddaughter Olivia Grace McLeod. An immeasurable loss, Chubby's legacy remains eternal. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the local chapter of The South Carolina Commission for The Blind, 1430 Confederate Ave., Columbia, S.C., 29201 or The Still Hopes Residents Fund, P.O. Box 2959, West Columbia, 29171 The Memorial Service will be held at 3 o'clock, Monday, August 5, 2024, Chapel of The Holy Spirit, Still Hopes Retirement Home, One Still Hopes Drive, West Columbia, S.C., 29169. A reception will be held in The Guignard Mansion at the conclusion of the service.

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Ms. Sarah Covington Rice

December 1, 1927 - July 30, 2024