Sarah Jane Carpenter Scarborough died peacefully in her home in Columbia, SC on Tuesday, April 7, 2020. Sarah was born in Elkin, North Carolina on January 19, 1932, to Marie Bivins and Joseph Augustus Carpenter.
Having been raised in North Carolina as a child, she attended UNC-Greensboro (then a Women’s College), graduating in 1954 with a Bachelor Science degree in Secretarial Administration.
Upon graduation, she traveled abroad with several of her closest college friends, riding bicycles throughout Europe. As her friends slowly disbanded (either leaving to take jobs or returning home), Sarah stayed behind, taking on work as a civilian for the US Army in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. There she met Claude Mood Scarborough Jr. (d. 2012), who at the time was part of the Judge Advocates General’s Corps for the US Army. They were married on June 30, 1955.
The couple soon after returned to Claude’s childhood home in Columbia, SC. Sarah began to work as a typesetter for the Associated Press office in Columbia, while Claude began to build his career as an attorney (eventually becoming Senior Managing Partner of Nelson Mullins Riley and Scarborough). Sarah’s support and encouragement of her husband was an integral part of the success of his career.
After leaving her job in order to care for her four children, Sarah remained constantly occupied, working on various arts and crafts such as knitting, needlepoint, embroidery and watercolor. She was known for gifts of mohair afghans to anyone whom she cared about. Sarah was on the Altar Guild of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and volunteered to work as a receptionist for the Dean’s office for many years.
In the 1970’s she joined two close friends, Mary Lou Price and Jane Smith, as a coworker in their shop on Devine Street named “the Friendly Yarn Shop”. There she passed on her vast knowledge of the crafts that she had learned over the years to customers. Sarah was also an avid gardener and a member of the Columbia Gardening Club for many years. Her love for nature, for birds and their songs were passed on to her children.
She is survived by her children, Sarah (Dave) Scarborough-Perrault and Beth Scarborough of Columbia, SC, Claude (Monica) III of Atlanta, GA, Gelene Scarborough of New York, NY, one grandchild, Katie Scarborough of Atlanta GA, and her only sibling, Mary Ann (Pete) Sartain of Monroe, NC, as well as many other more distant relatives and beloved friends.
Her family will be forever grateful for the tender and unfailing care she received from the staff of Right at Home, allowing her to pass on peacefully in the home where she had lived for fifty-five years.
Sarah will be remembered for her generosity and caring nature, her creativity which pervaded every aspect of her life, and her devotion to her husband of 57 years. We will miss her enormously.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation: (https://www.brpfoundation.org/donate)
A memorial service is being planned and will be announced at a later date.
Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel, is assisting the family. Memories may be shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com.
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