Georgia Taylor Brennecke

Georgia Taylor Brennecke crossed to her forever home on September 11, 2026 at the age of 72. She was the third child of Edmund Rhett Taylor and Mary Herbert Taylor.

Georgia was raised in Columbia, South Carolina in an active and cheerful home. It was a home where people were welcomed and came often. Her grandparents were influential in her life. Aunts, uncles, and cousins added to her family experience. Dinner time at the Taylor house was family time, and her mother and father made a concerted effort to gather their crew around the table for good food and meaningful conversation.

Georgia’s youthful years included plenty of tennis, and horseback riding. Summer mornings began with an early, non-optional swim across Spring Lake. She explored the world outdoors with her siblings and friends. The highlight of every summer was a month-long visit to Avenel, the farm of her mother’s ancestors in Northern Virginia. With her siblings and cousins, she roamed the fields, clamoring over the old stone walls while always keeping a wary eye on the bulls. She explored the cavernous barn, rode horses, swam in Broad Run, and trekked up High Point. Georgia included summer trips to Avenel for her children so that they too could know that special place and do the timeless things that she enjoyed as a girl.

As a teenager, inspired by a Virginia cousin, Georgia took up the guitar. She would go on to raise her sweet voice in song at camps, youth meetings and churches. In her adult life, she loved a family singalong. Out came the guitars. Each child had something to shake or beat on and the old songs would roll along; “Stewball”, “The Fox Went Out”, “Swing Low Sweet Chariot”, “Frog Went a Courtin” and many more.

One of the gifts Georgia received from her parents during the growing up years was a sense of home and family. This was woven into the fabric of her being and later modeled in the ways she and Frank made their home.

When Georgia was 17, her mother suggested that she meet the young, new youth minister, John Yates and his wife, Susan. She followed up on her mother’s suggestion. She heard the amazing message of Christianity from John Yates; that Jesus, the heaven-sent rescuer, loved us, came after us, and died in our place that we might be redeemed in the sight of the All-Holy God and live in communion with Him. She responded to John’s message. Susan Yates discipled and nurtured Georgia throughout her senior year of high school. Georgia would be the first to say that she was an imperfect follower, but follow she did. She participated fully in the TEAM ministry. This set the course for the rest of Georgia’s life. The bonds she formed through TEAM held throughout.

Georgia became the “come and see” girl. She wanted her friends to hear the message that she heard at TEAM. She asked them to “just come and see”. People did come, though sometimes only after Georgia extended several come and see invitations. Georgia never stopped being the “come and see” girl. As an adult, whatever Bible study she was doing, and there were many over the years, she always invited others. She always asked them to just come and see.

Georgia graduated from the University of South Carolina with degrees in English Literature and Nursing. She worked as a Registered Nurse in hospitals in Charleston, SC, Lexington, SC, Baltimore, MD, Williamsburg, VA, and Greenwood, SC. Georgia left nursing when her second child was born so that she could be a full-time mom.

She married Frank Brennecke, the man who “took her breath away”. Together they plowed the same furrow in the same field of life, hitting unexpected challenges and daily gifts along he way. Georgia and Frank were married for 47 years when Georgia passed. Throughout those 47 years, each was always the other’s best friend. Among the happiest of many happy days was the day when they brought their baby girl, Anna, home; and the day, three years later, when they brought their baby boy, Taylor, home.

Frank and Georgia’s children, Anna Dowdey and Taylor Brennecke, remained the joy of her life. Anna and Taylor brought into the Brennecke family the rich blessings of Matthew Dowdey and Sarah Wood. As grandchildren; Brenn Dowdey, Molly Brennecke, Georgia Dowdey, and Harriette Brennecke, came along, happy commotion poured into Georgia’s home. Investing time into the lives of her sweet granddaughters was a gift and an opportunity Georgia cherished. Family night, backyard playtime, beach time, COVID Little Learners and time at Fairfield proved to be days well spent in her mind. Georgia loved to say, “A dirty child is a happy child!” and Gigi let her grand girls get plenty dirty. Frequently on the hunt for an engaging children’s story, she could not wait to introduce the girls to new friends like Old Uncle Wiggly, Sylvie from The Night World, Pooh and Piglet, Bear from the Carma Wilson books, Will and Halt from The Ranger’s Apprentice, Chester, Harry, and Tucker from The Cricket in Times Square, Susan, Peter, Edmund, and Lucy from Narnia, Misty from Misty of Chincoteague, and many more.

Georgia did not have to go far to be at one of her special places. The old farmhouse at Fairfield was a place for gathering, whether it was the forty or more that came each Thanksgiving for many years, or just a few friends and family sitting on the porch. Nothing pleased her more than to be at Fairfield with lots of children running free.

Long stays at North Litchfield were respites for Georgia. She was completely content with a stack of books usually pertaining in some way to the word of God, a legal pad to take notes, and a view of the exquisite fall sunsets over the marsh. Georgia was a moon gazer. She was happy to sit with Frank on the boardwalk waiting to see a late moonrise over the dark ocean.

Georgia referred to her own back yard as her haven. It was a place to have a morning cup of coffee with Frank or to be with a few friends in the late afternoon. She was always ready to sit in her haven with her grandchildren about; watching them explore, create, invent, or imagine. She helped them see the extraordinary possibilities all around them in her haven.

Georgia lived her life in fellowship. She always remembered something her grandfather, Beverley Herbert, told her when she was a teenager. It was a simple statement, but it stuck with her. He said “Georgia, if you like people, they are going to like you”. She took this to heart. Georgia connected with people everywhere she went. It was one of her defining characteristics. She formed bonds with people near and far that lasted a lifetime. She was kind, compassionate, selfless, attentive, easy to be with, and easy to talk to. Her grandfather was so right. She enjoyed people and they enjoyed her.

After nursing and raising children, Georgia found her next calling when she was certified as a member of the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators. Over the next decade, emerging readers came to Ms. Georgia’s table where she taught them to use the tools based on the Orton-Gillingham approach to unlock the world of reading. Georgia was gifted for this work. She had the opportunity to witness the transformation of these children from struggling readers to confident readers who actually enjoyed coming to her table for tutoring even though she worked them hard. With the necessary fundamental reading skills in hand, all of her students successfully completed their high school education and graduated from institutions of higher learning. All of them were dear to her. Many thanked her when, years after sitting at her table, they graduated from high school.

Through her leadership of the Academy of Columbia Foundation, Georgia promoted “structured literacy” based on the Orton-Gillingham approach. Her intention was to establish public access to structured literacy so all students could benefit from this great resource. The Academy of Columbia supports the community work of the Dyslexia Resource Center, provides grants for training public school teachers and public librarians in structured literacy, and established and maintains a dedicated collection of materials and resources for parents and teachers known as the “Education Studio” at the Richland County Library. The Academy of Columbia provided grants for the development of the Reading Intervention Starts Early (RISE) curriculum. The curriculum provides ready-made lessons that parents can access through the public library. Georgia worked diligently for years to make RISE a reality.

The end-of-life leg of Georgia’s 72-year journey was a hard road. She endured that road with courage, knowing to the core of her being that it would end with healing beyond comparison. Oh, but it was discouraging when the treatment of her disease was as harsh as the pitiless disease itself. It was disheartening for her and those near to her to see the disease waste her away. Yet she never despaired or completely lost heart. Among the Lord’s tender mercies, was a remarkable community of faith; family, dear friends from near and far, and many she did not even know stood beside her, read to her, sang to her, fed her family and covered her in prayer that never ceased.

Georgia always said that her life was filled with blessing upon blessing. She lived her life with gratitude in her heart. She lived her life in ongoing, intentional thanksgiving.

Her Redeemer Lord Jesus said
​“I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly”.

Georgia lived a fruitful, abundant life on this earth. Now, she has eternal life, and has it more abundantly than we could ever imagine.

Many dear friends and family will cherish their memories of Georgia.

Those of her immediate family who will hold her tightly in their hearts and rejoice to see her again someday are her husband, Frank Brennecke; daughter and son-in-law, Anna and Matthew Dowdey; son and daughter-in-law, Taylor and Sarah Brennecke; grandchildren, Brenn Dowdey, Georgia Dowdey, Molly Brennecke, and Harriette Brennecke; her beloved sister and brother-in-law, Mary Beverley and Imtiaz Haque; and their children and spouses, Omar and Kerri Haque; and Mariana and Nick Guida.

A service of thanksgiving for Georgia’s life will take place in the Family Life Center at First Presbyterian Church, 1324 Marion Street, Columbia South Carolina at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, September 18. A reception will immediately follow in Jackson Hall of the Church. Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, is assisting the family.

Memorials honoring Georgia’s life can be made to The Dyslexia Resource Center, 628 Muller Avenue, Columbia, SC 29203; or to Young Life- Columbia P.O. Box 5772, Columbia, SC 29250