Beatrice Netherton Nash, 98, died in Columbia, on June 11, 2018 at the home of her daughter. Born on January 29, 1920, in Asheville, NC, she was the only child of the late Zack McKinley Netherton and Tula Woodson Netherton.
A graduate of Lee Edwards High School and Cecil’s Business College, Bea was formerly employed by Commercial Credit Corporation and Fidelity Federal Savings & Loan as Accounting Manager.
She was married for 50 years to the late Edwin Brooks Nash of Greenville. After their marriage in 1947, Bea and Ed lived in Greenville for two years before moving to Spartanburg, where their two daughters were born. After eight years in Spartanburg, they returned to Greenville in 1956. Bea was a resident of Greenville until 2015, when she made the decision to move to Columbia to be nearer her children. She seemed to have a knack for making friends easily and thoroughly enjoyed the last three years, especially getting to know her new neighbors at The Laureate.
Upon her marriage, Bea transferred her church membership from Trinity United Methodist Church in Asheville to Buncombe Street United Methodist Church in Greenville, where she has been a member for 71 years. Bea was a member of the Tommy Thomason Sunday School Class and the Dean Mauney Circle. She was also a member of the Fellowship Club and former office volunteer and teacher in the children’s department of the church. She also had a love for Aldersgate United Methodist Church and her many friends there, where she was a member of the Prime Timers, the Wednesday Morning Bible Study, and the Monday Afternoon Bridge Group.
For many years, she was active in the PTA of her daughter’s schools. She served on the boards of Lake Forest Elementary School and Wade Hampton High School. When Lake Forest was new, Bea spent hundreds of volunteer hours setting up the new school library. She then served as Library and Fundraising Chairman.
For more than 20 years, Bea was a volunteer at Grady Hipp Nursing Center and the Greenville Retirement Home. She was also a charter member and past president of the Wildaire Community Club. She was also a loyal supporter and active volunteer with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for many years.
Surviving are her two daughters and sons-in-law, Dianne and Terry Barnes of Columbia and Susan and Ralph Arrington of Mt. Pleasant; five grandchildren and their spouses, Stuart Arrington and his wife Rebecca of Columbia, Katie de la Maza and her husband Rafael of Mt. Pleasant, Scott Arrington and his wife Courtney of Mt. Pleasant; Ryan Barnes and his wife Amber of Columbia; and Caroline Barnes of Columbia; as well as six great-grandchildren, Louise Arrington, Emily Barnes, and Carter Barnes of Columbia; and Jack Nash Arrington, McKinley Arrington, and Luca de La Maza, of Mt. Pleasant. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Martha N. Terry of Sumter, as well as many cousins in North Carolina. In addition to her husband, she was also predeceased by her sisters-in-law, Catherine Johns and her husband Mike of Columbia, and Mary Jackson and her husband Jimmy of Sumter; as well as her brothers-in-law, John Robert Nash and his wife Evelyn of Greenville, and Bryant Terry of Sumter.
Memorials may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Palmetto Chapter, 1122 Lady Street, Suite 640, Columbia, SC 29201 or to Buncombe Street United Methodist Church, 200 Buncombe Street, Greenville, SC 29601.
Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 16, 2018 in the Memorial Chapel of Buncombe Street UMC, with Rev. Grover Putnam officiating. Burial will follow the service at Woodlawn Memorial Park. The family will receive friends in the Orders Parlor of the church one hour before the service.
