Obituary of Jeannie Carroll McQuillen

Jeannie Carroll Epting Marchant McQuillen, age 48, died unexpectedly on July 16, 2023.

Born at the Baptist Hospital in Columbia on October 20, 1974, she was the daughter of Jolene Jones and Larry C. Marchant, Sr.    She was the mother and soul mate of Drew McQuillen, age 15, and Rebecca McQuillen, age 12, and the “little” sister of Charles Epting.

Jeannie was a proud 1992 graduate of Brookland Cayce High School.  Although an ardent Clemson Tiger fan from birth, she moved to her favorite place, Fripp Island, South Carolina, to attend the University of South Carolina, Beaufort and the Technical College of the Low Country to study nursing.  Her favorite color remained purple.  While attending college and working, she purchased her first home in downtown Beaufort and totally renovated it with very little help.

Jeannie was a caring, beautiful soul who always put others before herself.  She lived with a strong Christian faith loving her children, parents, grandparents and friends.  She was a faithful member of Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church.   Her warm smile, laugh and sense of humor put others at ease and they instantly bonded as friends.

 Working in her yard growing herbs, tomatoes, hydrangea and gardenias gave her much pleasure.  She made beautiful arrangements to share with friends and neighbors.  Although she was always late, holidays were treasured family traditions celebrated with family and friends using menus and recipes from her parents, grandmother and great-grandmother.  She was totally dedicated to her children and their interests.  These included soccer, basketball, wrestling, years of football and practices for Drew and soccer, dance, Brownies, cookie sales and perfect attendance with lots of badges in Girl Scouts for Rebecca.

A celebration of Jeannie’s life will be held on Saturday, July 22, 2023 at 11 AM at Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church, 1000 B Avenue, West Columbia.  Interment will follow at Mt. Tabor Cemetery where she will be buried by her grandparents, Rebecca Lybrand and Charles “Rudy” Jones.  Prior to being gifted to Mt. Tabor by the Lybrand family, the section of the cemetery where she will be buried was the home of her great-great-great grand parents, Margaret Shull and Jesse Roof.

The family will receive friends for visitation on Friday, July 21 from 6 to 8 at Thompson Funeral Home at 4720 Augusta Road, Lexington, S. C.

In addition to her parents and children, she is survived by her loving brother, Charles Epting, his wife Mitzi and their sons Will, Drew and Cole; Larry C. Marchant, Jr. and his children Michael, Johnathan, and Vivian; Les Marchant, his wife Lara and sons Cannon and Landon and  her former husband and father of her children, Andrew McQuillen.

Although her death devastates the family, it gives us comfort that she chose to be an organ donor making our tragedy the answer to the prayers of many families.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Ladies Aid Society of Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church in memory of Jeannie.