On Saturday, August 21, 2021, Marge Jarvis, passed away at the age of 88, at East Cooper Medical Center in Mt. Pleasant, SC. She was residing at the Franke Senior Living Center in Mt. Pleasant, SC.
Marge was born in North Wilkesboro, NC on July 31, 1933 the daughter of Henrietta and Fred Palmer.
She grew up in Hickory, NC and graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne College with a degree is Social Work and she continued her higher education at UNC in Durham, NC. After college she married her first husband, James Hunt, to whom three children were born.
While living in Rochester, NY, she was employed by the Women's Career Center and counseled employees seeking reemployment. She married Herb Jarvis in 1988.
One of Marge's endearing accomplishments is the founding of the Adopt-A-School program, formally organized in 1995 at St. Helena Elementary School on St. Helena Island, SC. The mission was to provide tutoring in reading, vocabulary, math and science. The vision was met with overwhelming success. For twenty-five years now, this non-profit organization has continued to serve St. Helena Elementary School. She introduced Beaufort to the Lifelong Learning Center at USC. Marge dedicated her life to
education.
After retirement, Marge and Herb traveled most of the world experiencing many exciting adventures including hiking the Milford Track in New Zealand and cruising the Nile River. Marge loved to play Backgammon and we called her the "Queen of Backgammon". She taught many grandchildren to play Backgammon and Kings in the Corner during the summers spent on Melody Island, NH.
She was a member of the following clubs: Bald Peak in Moultonborough, NH; Burlingame in Sapphire, NC and Dataw in Beaufort, SC.
As a founding member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Beaufort, SC, when asked to describe the UU Fellowship, she responded, "We believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every person." That is how she truly lived and loved. Her legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of everyone with whom she interacted.
She will be sadly missed by her husband, Herb, and children: Stuart Hunt (Nancy), Susan Browning, Lori Hunt (Jay), Laurian Lucretia (Mike Carr), Averill Nannos (Craig), Leslie Abernathy (Shields), Suzanne Jarvis and brother, Bob Palmer (Linda), and sister-in-law, JoAnn Palmer, 15 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren and other family members.
She was proceeded in death by her brother, Dick Palmer and sister, Clara Findley.
A Celebration of her life will be held at 3:00 PM on Saturday, March 12, 2022 in the Carolina Room at the Dataw Island Country Club, 100 Dataw Club Road, St. Helena Island, SC 29920, (843) 838-3838.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Marge's name may be made to the Adopt-A-School Program of Beaufort and St Helena Island, PO Box 862 St Helena Island, SC 29920.
Expressions of sympathy may be viewed or submitted online at www.mcalister-smith.com.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to McALISTER-SMITH FUNERAL & CREMATION, Mt. Pleasant, 1520 Rifle Range Rd., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464, (843) 884-3833.