Ansley Starr

COLUMBIA — Ansley Morrow Carter Starr, 65, of Columbia, passed away Sunday, September 20, 2009, after a brief illness.
 
An accomplished dancer and dance teacher in her youth, Ms. Starr performed in many stage productions, including The King and I starring Yul Brynner. She was also the first female swimming instructor hired by the Waterbury, Conn., YMCA.
 
Ms. Starr graduated from Danbury State College in 1966. She completed her MEd in science education at Millersville University in 1972. Ms. Starr also received an ABA from Manchester Community College in 1988 and an MBA from the University of Connecticut in 1994.
 
Ms. Starr pursued a teaching career before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1973. She was one of the first women to complete drill sergeant school with the U.S. Army Reserve. She served in positions of increasing responsibility and attained the rank of master sergeant prior to her retirement from the Army Reserve. She was assigned to a broad range of units in the Northeast and the Carolinas, including the Military Intelligence School at Fort Bragg and the Headquarters, 6th Brigade (Professional Development) in Concord, N.C. After her retirement from the Army Reserve she served as the Resource Management Officer, 108th Division (Institutional Training) and as the Senior Auditor in the Internal Review Section of that command. At the time of her retirement in 2007, she served as an auditor in the Internal Review Section of the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Department of the Army. At that time she had a career spanning 28 years in the Army and Army Reserve, as well as significant time as a civilian employee, during which she was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and the Army Commendation Medal as well as numerous other commendations and awards.
 
An active member of the Embroiderer’s Guild of America, the American Needlepoint Guild and The Knitting Guild of America, Ms. Starr was a beloved instructor and accomplished practitioner of many needlework and knitting techniques. She enjoyed participating in archaeological digs around the country and was an avid student of history. Ms. Starr was also a past matron and active member of Mizpah Chapter #36 of the Order of the Eastern Star in Charlotte, N.C.
 
A “cradle Episcopalian,” Ms. Starr was active in the Episcopal Church Women, served on the Altar Guild, and was a member of the vestry and the finance committees of many of the churches she attended throughout her life.
 
Ms. Starr is survived by her daughter, Janet Drusilla Carter of Pageland; brother, James Morrow, and his wife, Gale, of Storrs, Conn., and their children Kirsten, Peter, and Katherine; sister-in-law, Alice Grover of Vernon, Conn. She was predeceased by her husband, Melvin Starr, former husband, Philip Carter, and a son, Russell Carter.
 
A celebration of her life will be held 1 p.m. Saturday, October 24, 2009, at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Columbia. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the rector’s discretionary funds of St. David’s Episcopal Church, 605 Polo Road, Columbia, SC 29223, Resurrection Episcopal Church, 2280 N. Beauregard St., Alexandria, VA 22311 or to Heifer International (www.heifer.org).
 
Please sign the online guestbook at www.dunbarfunerals.com.