Errol Cropper Lovering

Errol Cropper Lovering died on Sunday morning, January 2, 2011 in Charleston, S.C. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM, January 7th at the Bishop Gadsden Chapel with a reception to follow in the Young Library.  Mrs. Lovering was born on February 20, 1919 in Auckland, New Zealand to Paul Cropper and Airini Carr Cropper. During WWII she served in the New Zealand Armed forces and in April, 1944 was introduced to Richard Sears Lovering, a U.S. Army Captain recovering from injuries sustained at Bougainville. They were married two months later on D-Day and she settled with her husband in Arlington, Va. shortly thereafter.  Since 1979, she has resided in the Charleston area.

The Loverings were married for 56 years and shared many adventures, and a wonderful variety of friends, especially in Washington DC, Cyprus, New Zealand, and South Carolina. After her husband retired from federal service, they co-founded "Lovering Translation and Research Service", a Washington D.C.-based firm specializing in the translation of foreign technical materials for federal agencies.  

Mrs. Lovering had a lifelong love of travel and music, and was an avid gardener. She helped edit "An Illustrated History of Washington", which was published in 1977.

She was a loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt and friend.   Her wonderful spirit, sharp wit, and sense of adventure were with her until the last days of her life and she will be greatly missed. She held herself with grace and courage throughout, even under the most difficult of circumstances, and will remain a role model for many who knew and loved her.

The family would like to say how grateful we are to friends and staff at Bishop Gadsden who cared for her so well and meant so much to her.

Mrs. Lovering is survived by her children Mary Lark Lovering of Falls Church, Va, Ann Lovering Steele of Charleston, S.C. and Richard S. Lovering III of Columbus, Ohio, six grandsons, Nicholas Lovering Stevens of Washington, D.C., Paul Eliot Sperry of Charleston, S.C., John Wakefield Sperry of Charleston, S.C., Lt. Richard Lovering, IV currently serving in Afghanistan, Mark Errol Lovering of Kingston, Rhode Island, and William James Lovering of Palo Alto, California, and four great-grandchildren, Quinton Lovering Stevens of Washington, D.C., Elizabeth Dixon Sperry of Charleston, S.C., Emily Calista Sperry of Charleston, S.C., and Sabine Mary Cropper Stevens of Washington, D.C.

Memorials may be made to the Ronald McDonald House, 81 Gadsden Street, Charleston, South Carolina, 29403.  Arrangements by J. Henry Stuhr Inc. Downtown Chapel.