Alexis Marie Eastlund Younginer passed away in Columbia, South Carolina on May 16, 2019 at the age of 26. She was born on January 16, 1993 in Kitanakagusuku, Okinawa, Japan, to Emmett “Woody” Younginer and Susan Marie Eastlund Younginer.
Alexis enjoyed having a number of places to call home, and she followed the saying “bloom where you are planted.” As a small child in Okinawa, Japan, she found her first love--horses. She watched the classic “National Velvet” at every opportunity, and rode horseback for the first time on her third birthday, on a 17-hand thoroughbred named “Can-Do.” She began riding lessons later that year on a shetland pony named “Jerry” and was hooked forever, continuing to ride when she moved to Flower Mound, Texas, riding “Tracy.” She loved her early elementary years at Hanalani Schools in Mililani, Hawaii, and also discovered a love for soccer as a member of the “Rainbow Unicorns” and basketball as a member of the “Rainbows.” When she moved to Keller, Texas she attended three years at Hidden Lakes Elementary, where she was a member of the first fourth grade class to graduate from the new neighborhood school; she was blessed with extraordinary teachers and wonderful friends and experiences there. From Texas, she moved back to her birthplace of Okinawa, Japan, and she enjoyed participating in the Kadena High School Varsity Volleyball and Soccer programs, especially matches with the local Okinawan schools. Her last two years of high school were spent at Dutch Fork High School, in Irmo, South Carolina, where she continued to follow her heart playing volleyball. She attended Lander University her freshman year of college, proud to follow in her Grandmother Helen’s footsteps. She then fell in love with the Hilton Head area, and completed her college career at the University of South Carolina-Beaufort, in Bluffton, South Carolina, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with dual concentrations in Marketing and Management. Alexis also earned a Paralegal Certificate from the University of South Carolina. She was hardworking and bright, and throughout her school years, she had many wonderful teachers and professors.
Following college, Alexis found a professional position she truly loved at the Children’s Law Center at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, where she was a Training Assistant, and she felt especially grateful for the support she received from Patsy Rauton Lightle and Michelle Dhunjishah, who patiently mentored and encouraged her. Her commitment to the mission of the Children’s Law Center was completely heartfelt, and she looked forward to growing within the organization.
In addition to being a dedicated student, Alexis was a gifted athlete, playing club volleyball and soccer, and she took lessons in tennis, golf, gymnastics, ice skating, and piano. She was always interested in learning new skills. She was a protective big sister to Cole and Hayley, and shared many adventures with them, from discovering secret lagoons to organizing trick-or-treat strategies. She was a generous, determined, creative individual who loved reading and scrapbooking, and who was especially passionate about animal rescue.
Her family remembers her as a beautiful, kind person and she is especially missed by her teacup yorkie, Benjamin, and her cat, Oki. She was loving to her childhood adopted cats Aloha and Mahalo, and family dogs Luna and Rooney will miss her terribly.
She is survived by her parents, Emmett “Woody” Younginer and Susan Marie Eastlund Younginer and her younger siblings, Cole and Hayley Younginer, and her aunt, Amelia Younginer Dupuis. She is preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Helen and Herman Younginer, and her maternal grandparents, Tom and Arletta Eastlund.
A funeral is scheduled for Thursday, May 23, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. at Dunbar Funeral Home, Dutch Fork Chapel. Visitation is from 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. prior to the service. Burial will immediately follow in Union United Methodist Church. Dallas Freeland will officiate the ceremony. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Alexis's life.
Alexis was loved dearly by her friends and family. She will forever be in their hearts.
The family would like to thank everyone for their support during this difficult time.
Alexis was an intense advocate for the cause of pet rescue and adoption. She volunteered in Okinawa at the local cat shelter, volunteered during high school for a local veterinary association, and adopted her cat, Oki, from Hilton Head Humane Association, an extremely well organized rescue and adoption organization with a huge heart and genuine commitment to the cause. If you wish, donations may be sent in Alexis' memory to: -Hilton Head Humane Association, P.O. Box 21790, Hilton Head Island, SC 29925, (843) 681-8686, Online donations may be arranged through their website: www.hhhumane.org
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