Lynette Chavis Craft

Lynette Chavis Craft, 87, went peacefully to her heavenly home on July 15th, 2026. She was a dedicated and loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was born on November 26, 1938 in Orangeburg, South Carolina. She was the daughter of William and Virgie Chavis Morris.

Lynette was a devout and true Christian. Lynette’s world revolved around her faithful involvement in the church. She taught Sunday School. She was a Girl Scout leader. She undertook countless fundraisers, Vacation Bible Schools, summer church camps, and so much more. She sang in the choir with her husband Ray and could always be found at bible study with her friends. She spent her life in dutiful service to God. Along with her work in the church and raising her four daughters, she spent more than 20 years in dedicated service to Shakespeare at their Columbia and Newberry plants.

Lynette loved traveling. She did multiple mission trips across the US as well as to the DR and Haiti. She loved the Carolina Gamecocks and traveling to see them play football. She enjoyed being outside with her family and even learned to drive the family boat so her girls and husband could ski together.

Lynette was a role model for her family. She radiated joy. She never complained and loved life. Always a smile and a quick, dry sense of humor to boot. She was selfless, sacrificial, and loving to her core. She loved her family deeply and truly in a way that created in her children that same love of family and life that will be passed down for generations to come. She spent her life raising others into caring people who share in her love of family, God, and life.

Left to cherish her memory in gratitude and love are her four daughters, Linda Padgett (Hank), Sarah Haner, Tammy Dickert (Mike) and Terri Rideoutte, nine grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, her siblings Margie Reeves, Sarah Vanmansart, and Ervin Morris, and a great many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years Keith Ray Craft, son-in-law Kevin Haner, sister Thelma Beckman, as well as her great-grandchildren Jace Hunt and Toula Kokolis.

The celebration of Lynette’s life will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, July 25th at Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, 7600 Trenholm Road Ext, Columbia, SC with Rev. Ron Bower officiating. Burial will follow at Crescent Hill Memorial Gardens, 2603 Two Notch Rd, Columbia, SC.

The family will receive friends prior to the service beginning at 1:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 140 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 640, Columbia, SC 29210 or First Church of God, 2665 Covenant Road, Columbia, SC 29204.