Brenda McCarthy

Brenda was born on October 21, 1961, in Augsburg, Germany on an Army military base. From her childhood and early adulthood, she lived in Columbia, South Carolina. In the 1980s, she moved to San Francisco, where she worked as a psychiatric nurse. She returned to Columbia in the early 1990s and went on to earn her nursing degree from the University of South Carolina. Later, she obtained her nursing license from Midlands Technical College.

She worked as a registered nurse at Providence Hospital for about 10 years. In addition, she dedicated over 20 years working part-time at DJJ and later spent 15 years at BlueCross BlueShield before retiring in 2023.

Brenda loved vacations and had a special gift for bringing family together. Her favorite trips were to Hilton Head Island, where she enjoyed spending time with her extended family.

Her hobbies included reading, gardening, Star Wars, Star Trek, westerns, swimming, and photographing her life. Most of all, she loved spending time with her family, friends, and her beloved cats.

She was a member of the Kingdom Hall and an active member of her congregation, living her life in a way Jehovah wanted.

The family extends their heartfelt thanks to MUSC on Forest Drive and the ICU team for the care and compassion shown to our mother in her final moments.

She is survived by her husband of nearly 30 years, Michael McCarthy; daughter, Kaelyn McCarthy; sons, Michael McCarthy Jr. and Ben McCarthy; best friend, Quinten; in-laws, the McCullar family; and cherished cats, Ebony, Blackjack, and Tuxedo. She was preceded in death by her parents, Eugene Goodsell Appleman and Joyce Ann McGee Appleman.

A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, April 24, 2026 at Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel. The family will receive friends from 1:00 until 2:00 p.m. prior to the service at the funeral home.

Memories may be shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com