Rebecca Jane Pardee

Rebecca J. Pardee Rebecca (Becky) Jane Pardee went to her eternal rest August 5, 2016 at her home on Spring Island, South Carolina. Born Mary Ellen Oxenford in Manchester, Iowa September 14, 1943 to William and Claire Oxenford of Des Moines, Iowa, she was adopted and renamed Rebecca Jane Bisgrove 10 days later by Edward and Myrna Bisgrove of Earlville, Iowa. She was raised and educated in Earlville with her adopted brother, Richard Alan, currently of Detroit, Michigan. She graduated from the University of Dubuque with a B.A. in English and moved to Phoenix, Arizona where she was a technical editor at Sperry Phoenix. After marrying in 1967 she relocated to Gaithersburg, Maryland where she worked for 23 years at the National Institute of Standards and Technology as an editor, electronic typesetting specialist and scientific and technical publications supervisor. In 1986 she remarried and moved in 1990 with her husband, Charles Arthur Pardee, Jr., to Bald Head Island, North Carolina where they built a home and lived a nine-year "bold adventure." Becky's activities there included chapel organist, volunteer fire fighter, First Responder, property manager, and executive of the nature conservancy. In 2000 Becky and her husband moved to Spring Island, South Carolina where over the years Becky worked on the 2000 Census, volunteered at a Beaufort County Guardian Ad Litem as an advocate for abused and neglected children and for the past 14 years was employed as a Property/Office Manager in the Executive Center at the Pickney Colony Office Park in Bluffton. Becky loved all animals and the natural world. An avid gardener, she served for many years as the contact point for the Spring Island Community Garden and loved pulling weeds best of all. Her activities also included gourmet cooking, reading about the human condition, writing, playing the piano and Scrabble. During her lifetime two long-held dreams came true. Becky found her birth family in 1979 and a sister she hadn't known existed (Sandy Ross 1941-1992). In 2008 Becky joyfully reunited with her own adopted son, Marc Ainslie, and his two sons, Austin and Nicholas. Becky is survived by her husband; her adoptive brother; her son Marc and two grandsons of Phoenix; his girlfriend Debbie Ackert and son Dylan of Phoenix; Marc's adoptive parent Dorothy; her sister's Iowa family; and many friends, especially Betty Sayers of Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Barbara lvler of Seal Beach, California, who will miss her and treasure many wonderful memories of her kindness, intelligence, warmth, wit and special spark. Memorials may be sent to the ASPCA or the Child Abuse Prevention Association.