Jessie M. Brice

A funeral service to honor the life of Jessie M. Brice, 79, will be held at 11:00 a.m. on July 19, 2025, at Dunbar Funeral Home, 4219 Hard Scrabble Rd, Columbia, SC 29223, with burial to follow at Greenhaven Cemetery at 12:00 p.m. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., at the funeral home.

Mrs. Brice passed away peacefully on July 7, 2025. Born in Grover, North Carolina, she was the daughter of the late John T. Johnson and Mary Beasley Johnson.

Jessie was a proud graduate of East High School in Buffalo, New York in 1964. While stationed in Bangkok, Thailand, with her husband, who was serving in the U.S. Air Force, she taught English—a role that reflected her generous spirit and natural ability to connect with others across cultures.

Her greatest legacy, however, lives on in the countless lives she touched during more than five decades as a devoted foster parent. Jessie spent over 28 years with SAFY and 20 years with Mentor, offering a safe and loving home to more than 30 children—many of whom were mentally challenged or medically fragile. In 2020, she and her husband were honored as Foster Parents of the Year, a testament to their lifelong commitment. Jessie was a tireless caregiver, an unwavering advocate, and a mother in every sense of the word.

As a woman of deep passion and quiet strength, Jessie found peace in her garden, joy in sewing, and fulfillment in her animals. She could coax life out of the soil with her green thumb, craft warmth into every quilt she stitched, and raised chickens, pigs, ducks—and horses—with ease and affection. She absolutely loved the casino, especially the slot machines, where she’d light up with excitement and laughter, enjoying every moment of it.

Her personality was unmistakable—she was a Beasley, through and through. Jessie cared deeply, loved freely, and gave generously. She was the kind of person who would show up without being asked, listen without judgment, and offer comfort without condition. She might not have always had the answer, but she had the heart. To her family, she was a rock. She was love, personified.

She is survived by her sons, Garland T. Johnson and Krisone Brice, Laverne, both of Columbia, SC; her daughter, Samantha N. Brice of Florida; her grandchildren, Aliyah Johnson and Logan Collison; her brother, James Johnson; and her sisters, Creola Mathews of Buffalo, NY, and Maeola Mathews of Elgin, SC.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Harold N. Brice.

Jessie’s unwavering love, strength, and compassion will be deeply missed and forever remembered by all who had the blessing of knowing her.