Ethel Smith Amacher

Funeral Services will be held 4:00 pm on Monday August 12, 2023 at Downtown Church at Central Energy, 2030 Gregg Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29201.

A native of Griffin, Georgia, Ethel was born on May 24th, 1933 to Mr. and Mrs. William Terrell (Ethel) Smith Little Ethel was the pride and joy and only child to her parents, whom she adored and respected. Among the many values they held, faith and education were the most important. Ethel lost her beloved father unexpectedly three weeks before heading off to Westhampton College of the University of Richmond. Although the loss was huge, Ethel bravely boarded the train with her mother, hat boxes and steamer trunks in tow, to start her studies as scheduled.

Immediately nicknamed “Smitty”, she broke the hearts of quite a few suitors, having to return a ring or two along the way. She was crowned as May Queen, graduated with honors and scored her first job at Miler and Rhodes outfitting all the young ladies with the styles of the season.

Having been brought up with an emphasis on helping others, she decided to return to school to pursue a Master’s degree in Psychiatric Social Work at Tulane University. It is there that she met her future husband, Martin Amacher. They married and settled in Hickory, North Carolina where they began to raise their three daughters, Terrell, Anna and Jenny.

Loving where she already lived and having made lifelong friends, Ethel put on a brave face, packed up and moved the family to Nashville, TN, as Martin was a Tennessee man. Ethel adored living in Nashville, and the girls considered it home.

In a time when it was definitely not considered the norm, Ethel somehow managed to work part time and begin to build her career, while never missing a dance recital, tennis match, soccer or basketball game, or carpool pick-up. The kitchen was not her favorite place. The ironing board was ....as her girls were not allowed to leave the house with a wrinkle. Sunday service was a requirement, and if you spent the night out, you were picked up at 8:30 am sharp, and your friend was required to come, as well.

As the girls got older, Ethel’s career flourished. She focused not only on her own children, but also became a formidable advocate for at-risk children. At a time when child sexual abuse was a taboo subject, Ethel helped pioneer what would become a broadly used inter-disciplinary approach to treating abuse victims. The word of her hard work and dedication spread, and the United States Army somehow got wind of Ethel. Little did they know, they had contracted with a General in her own right, complete with Revlon Red lipstick and Jackie-O hair. They hired her to travel the world, training other professionals in proper child interviewing techniques and in new treatment approaches.

Fast forward to Ethel’s retirement, by then a grandmother of nine, affectionately known by all as Gigi aka the Geeg, she found herself in the great State of South Carolina and hosted many Gigi camps over the years, both on Hilton Head and Seabrook Islands. As a mother and grandmother, whether digging in the sand or dragging her flock her to church, she had that handbag nestled in the crook of her arm, and was all Aqua Netted up!

All this busyness aside, it was the light of faith that shone so brightly in Gigi and is what truly defined her. She led by example, but believed in the power and importance of discourse and for that her family is forever grateful.

Gigi will be profoundly missed by her survivors, three daughters; Terrell Amacher Hutto, Anna Amacher Kemper and her husband Albert Strayer Kemper, IV Jennifer Amacher Miller and her husband, Joseph Henry Miller, IV, eleven grandchildren; Alex Creason McElroy (John), Margaret Creason McMahon (Shane), Harrison Creason (Anna Brigid), Grayson Kemper, Kate Kemper, Annie Kemper, Graham Kemper, Joe Miller, Rebecca Miller, Sam Miller, Campbell Miller, four great grandchildren; Capers McElroy, Charlotte McElroy, Philip McMahon and Hudson Kemper.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made in Ethel's honor to Children's Trust of South Carolina at https://scchildren.org/ or to 1330 Lady St #310, Columbia, SC 29201.