Runette Louthian

Runette grew up in a small house in the Waylyn neighborhood of North Charleston with her three sisters, Arrie, Florence, and Faye. Faye was the baby of the family, and Runette was the second youngest. The two younger sisters spent plenty of time fighting, at least until Faye got big enough to start winning!

Runette attended Dorchester-Waylyn Elementary School, where she met Lucille Clardy Brown after Lucy moved into the neighborhood with her mother in the fifth grade. What began as a childhood friendship became a lifelong bond. Lucy remembered that they were "poor as church mice," but so were all their friends, and they enjoyed what she described as an idyllic 1950’s childhood.

At Chicora High School, Runette, Lucy, and their friend Carol were inseparable. According to Lucy, the three of them, along with several others of their close friends, pretty much ran the school.

Runette was involved in nearly everything Chicora had to offer. She participated in the drama club and Beta Club, worked on the annual staff, played on the basketball team, and was the pianist for school functions. Music was a family tradition. Her mother, Daisy Hughes, played piano by ear, while Runette and Faye took piano lessons. According to Faye, both sisters were a little jealous of their older sister Arrie, who also played by ear and was a better pianist than either of them.

Runette and Lucy also worked a Saturday job that would be hard to imagine today. Every Saturday, they took a one-hour bus ride downtown to Edwards Five and Ten Cent Store, where they worked from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. for $4.25 for the entire 12-hour day.

The girls loved going to Folly Beach, occasionally even cutting school to enjoy a day there. On one memorable occasion, they were startled to see their principal coming storming over the dunes, sweating profusely in his suit, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, and looking mad as a hornet. It was apparently not one of their more successful beach excursions but all of the girls were good students so they didn’t get punished too severely.

The friendships formed during those years endured for a lifetime. The group remained close through the decades and continued their annual gatherings at their friend Joyce’s house at Topsail. Those friendships were among the many treasures Runette carried throughout her life.

It was also during her senior year at Chicora that Runette surprised everyone. The girls always attended the annual Beta Club convention in Columbia, and when Runette failed to appear, everyone began wondering where she was. Then, on Saturday, she showed up with a young man named Herb Louthian. The two had quietly slipped away and gotten married because Herb was preparing to enter the military. It was a fitting beginning to a marriage and partnership that would last 74 years.

While Herb was stationed in Japan, Runette worked at the Naval Shipyard and continued living at home. After Herb completed his undergraduate degree, the couple moved to Columbia, where Runette supported him while he attended law school by working as the secretary for the head of the Department of Safety at Fort Jackson.

Runette and Herb built a full and active life together. For many years, they enjoyed playing bridge with a group of good friends. They shared a love of travel, and Runette's work as a travel agent gave her the opportunity to turn that passion into a career.

She especially enjoyed planning and taking trips, including annual family ski trips and yearly visits to the U.S. Open. Her travels took her all over the world, including to The Netherlands, Russia, South America, Cuba, Japan, Africa, Turkey, Hawaii, Alaska, New Zealand, French Polynesia, all over Europe including Austria, Germany, France and Italy, which she visited six times. She was even in Istanbul in 1999 when a major earthquake struck, adding an unexpected adventure to her travels.

Runette also loved playing tennis with her friends and took great joy in watching her daughter, Kay, play tennis, from her junior years all the way through college. Whether traveling, playing bridge, enjoying tennis, making music, or spending time with friends and family, she embraced life with enthusiasm and a spirit of adventure.

Above all, Runette cherished the people in her life. Her friendships, her marriage to Herb, and her devotion to her children and grandchildren were the threads that connected the many chapters of her life.

Runette was predeceased by her beloved daughter, Holly. She is survived by her husband of 74 years, Herb; her daughter, Kay Louthian and her partner Holly Hunter; her son, Bert Louthian, and his wife, Amy Louthian; and their children (Runette’s grandchildren), Mary Montague Stamatiades, her husband Perry and their daughter (Runette’s great-granddaughter), Efthymia Katherine Stamatiades (born 11/11/26), Landon Louthian, and Addie Louthian.

Runette's life was rich in experiences, laughter, friendships, and love. From a little house in Waylyn to travels around the world, from teenage adventures at Folly Beach to a lifetime of memories with Herb and her family, she made the most of the opportunities life offered. She will be remembered with love by all who were fortunate enough to know her.

A funeral service will be at 2:00 pm on Thursday, November 19th, 2026 at Shandon Presbyterian Church.