Obituary of Eunice Rish Medhurst

WEST COLUMBIA - Funeral services for Eunice Rish Medhurst, 103, will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 3, 2015 at Congaree Presbyterian Church, 1221 Lafayette Ave., Cayce conducted by the Rev. John D. White and the Rev. Dr. Fran Bragan with burial to follow in Southland Memorial Gardens. A memorial service will also be held at 4:00 p.m. Friday, January 2, 2015 at the Columbia Presbyterian Community, 700 DaVega Dr, Lexington, SC. Thompson Funeral Home of Lexington is assisting the family. Mrs. Medhurst died peacefully on December 31, 2014 at the Columbia Presbyterian Community in Lexington, where she had lived for about 20 years. She was born October 5, 1911, daughter of the late Willie Harriet Wannamaker Rish and David Rish, in Pelion, SC, and was predeceased by six brothers and three sisters. She attended Swansea High School and graduated from the Columbia Hospital School of Nursing in 1935. She studied at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and went on to earn a BS in Nursing from the University of South Carolina, where she became the first nursing student at USC to attain membership in Phi Beta Kappa. She later earned a master's degree at Indiana University. She was initiated into Sigma Theta Tau in 1967. She was President of the SC Nurses Association in 1962-1963 and throughout her career held several offices in nursing organizations and advisory positions in community agencies. For 35 years, Mrs. Medhurst served at Columbia Hospital, rising to become Director of Nursing. Upon retirement there, she was recruited to design and direct the nursing program at the newly-established Lexington Medical Center and became Vice President for Operations. After retiring from this position in 1977, she continued to serve the LMC community for another 25 years, logging 2748 hours as a volunteer. Both medical centers display her portrait. Her many honors include USC College of Nursing Alumna of the Year and a lifetime honorary membership in the Lexington Medical Association. A scholarship founded by the Lexington Medical Center Auxiliary is named for her, and she established the Rish-Medhurst Scholarship, to quote "as a way to repay the community for the many privileges which have been extended to me." In 2002, Gov. Jim Hodges awarded her the Order of the Silver Crescent, "not for one single achievement, but for a lifetime of accomplishments that have benefited the citizens of South Carolina." She was married for 58 years to the late Merle Medhurst, a professor of Business at USC, and they participated in dozens of Elderhostel programs of travel and study between 1979 and 1997. They remained active until his death in 2004. Their significant contributions to the Presbyterian Retirement Community helped make possible their dream of a Chapel building, which was dedicated in 2009. Survivors include multiple generations of nieces and nephews. The family especially wishes to thank the loving caregivers who assisted her in her last years. In lieu of flowers, Mrs. Medhurst requested that memorials be made to the charity of one's choice, or to the Rish-Medhurst Scholarship, College of Nursing, University of South Carolina. Eunice Rish Medhurst was a dedicated nurse, a respected administrator, and a role model and friend to many. She was much loved by those close to her and she will be truly missed.