Elizabeth "Beth" Way English

Elizabeth (Beth) Way English

On Thursday, October 13, 2022, Beth English ended her courageous and brave four-year battle with breast cancer. Beth was born on U.S. Naval Base: Argentia in Newfoundland, Canada in 1957 to Sarah Jamison “Betty” Way and Dr. G.S. Way, Jr. of Summerville, South Carolina. Raised in the Summerville community, she attended Summerville High School, and there, met the love of her life, Craig. As he attended The Citadel (Class of 1978), Beth studied at Columbia College. They dated for six years until getting married in July of 1978. Beth and Craig lived a short while in Atlanta and Greenville, SC before returning to the Lowcountry and eventually making their home in Summerville, to raise their children surrounded by grandparents and their many friends from childhood. In the mid-1980s, Beth and Craig founded and ran a successful sporting goods store, “English Sports”, but her young family was her ultimate passion and calling, and Beth dedicated herself to raising her two children at home. They spent the next 30+ years in Summerville, but upon retirement, Beth and Craig moved to Beth’s generational family summer cottage in the foothills of Upstate South Carolina. Beth’s family cottage had been her happy place ever since childhood, and there was no better location to retire and spend her best years being a wife, a mother and a loving Grandmother, known to her three Grandchildren as “BG.” Beth loved creating and making beautiful things. She was an accomplished cross-stitcher and hand sewer, known by many for her beautiful needlepoint work. Beth was also an avid wool rug hooking artist, having created dozens of one-of-a-kind early American style wool rugs. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and an active volunteer of The Mountain Lake Colony community, leading and organizing the Sunday School programs and property beautification projects throughout the summer season. Beth fought cancer with elegant grace and dignity to her very last breath. She leaves behind a legacy of faith and family. She lived to play with her grandchildren, spend time with them at the lake, attend every dance performance and participate in their school and sporting events. The English family wants to extend a special thanks to the Mountain Lake Colony Community for their many provided meals of comfort, and especially to the Interium Hospice nurses who assisted so generously throughout the last couple of weeks, Christa and Leslie were true angels sent to Beth in her final days. Beth is predeceased by her parents, Dr. and Mrs. G.S. Way, Jr. ( Betty) and her loving in-law parents, Mr. and Mrs. G.R. English (Carolyn). Beth is survived by her husband of 44 years, Craig English; her daughter and husband, Legare’ and Peter “PJ” Shymske of Greenville, their children English, Emme and Mac Rabideaux; her son and his partner, Drew English and Philip Bradley of Charleston and Cashiers, NC; her two sisters Jeffre Sumrall, (Dr. Joe Sumrall,) of Bonaire, GA and Margaret Parker of Greenville; and a brother, G.S. “Gess” Way III (Dr. Alice Boylan) of Charleston. The family will host a Celebration of Life service for Beth on Friday, October 21 at 1 o’clock, at Mountain Lake Colony, 6 N. Lake Drive, Cleveland, SC 29635. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: The Mountain Lake Sunday School Fund, PO Box 2332, Greenville, SC 29602.