Patsy Allen Holman

Patsy Allen Holman

COLOMBIA -- Patsy Allen Holman, 93, of Columbia, widow of Dr. Robert Evans Holman, died on July 6, 2023.

A memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church, 1324 Marion St., Columbia, SC, on July 20, at 11:00 a.m. The service will be conducted by the Rev. David Lauten and the Rev. Mitch Evans. The family will receive friends before the service from 10:00 - 11:00 in Jackson Hall.

Born in Birmingham, AL, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Roger William (Margaret Church) Allen, Patsy grew up in Auburn, AL, a place she held dear all her life. Educated in the public schools of Auburn, she received a BS degree from Alabama Polytechnic Institute, now Auburn University, in 1950, and an MA degree from the University of North Carolina in 1954.

Pat taught high school English and history in the Alabama and South Carolina public schools. She continued to teach in various ways and venues throughout her life. She was employed as a Professional Director of the Girl Scouts of the USA in Knoxville, TN, and Charleston, SC. She was the office manager of the Elloree Medical Center for several years.

Pat and her husband met in Charleston, where she was working and he was in medical school. They married in 1957 and lived for a year in Columbia, where Pat taught at Brookland- Cayce High School while Bob interned. In 1958 they moved to Elloree, SC, where they lived for 56 years. They moved to Still Hopes Episcopal Retirement Community in West Columbia in 2014. In 2022, Pat moved to White Oak Manor in Columbia.

A believer in giving back to the community, Mrs. Holman served on the Elloree Centennial Committee in 1986 and with her husband co-authored Elloree - A Short History. With two co-authors she wrote Cotton Fields to Golf Courses, a project of the Elloree Heritage Museum.

Mrs. Holman was a member of the Mentor Book Club and served as its president. She was a member and past president of the Edisto Medical Auxiliary and formerly was the National Standards Chairman for Alpha Gamma Delta Fraternity. She was the Girls State Chairman of the American Legion Auxiliary, Post 127, sending scores of girls to South Carolina Girls State. Mrs. Holman had been a Girl Scout Adult Regional Trainer in the Midlands and served as a Brownie and Girl Scout leader in Elloree.

Appointed to a three-member museum founding committee in 1998 by Elloree's mayor and town council, she spent 11 years developing the Elloree Heritage Museum. Mrs. Holman served as the first secretary of the Museum Board of Trustees and remained on the board until her retirement in 2009. As a faithful museum docent, she enjoyed giving individual and school tours. She served on numerous museum committees. The museum was a vital part of her life, and she continued to be an enthusiastic spokeswoman for its development and growth. She delighted in seeing the vision and mission of the museum become a reality.

A member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Elloree, Pat taught children, high school, and adult Sunday school classes. She was a member of the Lottie Felder Circle and the Women of the Church, formerly serving as president. She participated in Bible studies and prayer groups.

A voracious reader, Pat took real pleasure in good books. She continued to want to learn new things and delighted in passing this information on to others. She and Bob enjoyed traveling to places that interested them.

Pat and Bob were married 57 years. Pat is survived two daughters: Beth Holman Hardwicke (Fred) of Childress, TX, and Margaret Holman Cease (Carl) of Columbia; five grandchildren: Phillip Holman Cease (Ashley) of Columbia; Caroline Chambers Cease of Washington, DC; Robert Elisha Hardwicke (Claire) of Fort Worth, TX; Linda Grace Hardwicke Ure (David) of Salem, OR; and Rebekah Joy Hardwicke of Sherman Oaks, CA; five great-grandchildren: Liza Meade Cease, Gray Caroline Cease, Carlyle Stephens Cease, Naomi Jade Hardwicke, and one little Hardwicke arriving in December; a brother and sister-in-law, Roger and Kitty Allen of Waynesville, NC; nephews, nieces, and a host of devoted friends.

Memorials may be made to the Elloree Heritage Museum, P.O. Box 54, Elloree, SC 29047.