Obituary of Ethel Sue McGowan

COLUMBIA-Funeral services for Ethel Fuller McGowan who passed away on Sunday, August 2, 2015 will be held at 11 A.M., on Thursday, August 6, 2015 at Thompson Funeral Home at Greenlawn Memorial Park, 845 Leesburg Road, Columbia, SC 29209. Interment will follow in Greenlawn Memorial Park. The family will receive friends for one hour, prior to the service, at the funeral home. Ethel McGowan was born March 7, 1921 in Columbia, SC. She was a daughter of the late Linzey T. Fuller and Ethel Sue Stover of Columbia. After graduating from Columbia High School, she attended Business School and her first job was as a secretary at Ft. Jackson. She was a member of Shandon Baptist Church. Mrs. McGowan met her future husband, Samuel B. Whitby McGowan, at Clemson University and they were married May 12, 1942. Colonel McGowan was a career military officer and they were transferred to many military bases in the United States and Spain. After his retirement in 1968 they resided in Columbia, SC. Mrs. McGowan was active in teaching bible school, volunteering at Family Services at many military base locations and served as President and Treasurer at several Officers Wives Clubs during her husband's career. She became a top amateur golfer, winning multiple tournaments including the Ladies Southeastern Invitational Golf Tournament in Savannah, GA and the Ft. Jackson Golf Championship four times. She was also runner up in the 15th Annual Military Dependents Golf Tournament held at Ft Jackson. Seventeen teams representing all branches of the military service participated in the tournament. Mrs. McGowan also held various offices in the South Carolina Golf Association. Mrs. McGowan was predeceased by her husband of 72 years. She is survived by her five sons and their wives, Brian W. (Lorraine) of Monroe, CT; Robert W. (Yvonne) of Columbia, SC; Donald W. of Columbia, SC; Stephen W. (Claudia Parnell); and David W. (Lynda) of Columbia, SC. She is also survived by ten grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Ethel McGowan's memory to the Wounded Warrior Project, by visiting www.woundedwarriorproject.org/Donate, or by mail to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675.