Hattie Elizabeth Hanshaw

Hattie Elizabeth Ferebee Hanshaw, age 90, of Greenville SC, joined her husband, Phillip, in eternity on March 7, 2025.

She was born June 21, 1934 to Cecil Earl and Helen Louise (Propst) Ferebee and grew up in New Bern, North Carolina. After high school, Hattie went to The Women’s College of the University of North Carolina where she earned a BA in Biology in 1956. She then went on to earn a BS in Medical Technology from Charlotte Memorial Hospital in 1957. After graduation, she worked for multiple hospitals in the Charlotte, Goldsboro, and New Bern areas. In 1957, she met the love of her life, Phillip Hanshaw, while at a USO Dance in Greensboro, NC. They were married in April, 1959 and moved to Fayetteville NC where she worked as a Laboratory Technologist at the Cape Fear Valley Hospital. During this time, she and Phillip were blessed with two children, Constance (Malone) and Robert. In the spring of 1974, she and her family moved to Greenville, South Carolina where she went to work for the Greenville County Hospital System.

In addition to working in the lab at Greenville Memorial, she was also a clinical instructor for the College of Charleston Medical University and Greenville Technical College. She received the “Laboratorian of the Year” award in 1996.

During retirement, she loved to paint still life and landscapes, garden, and travel with her family and friends. She enjoyed trips to Alaska, Hawaii, Germany, France, England and the Bahamas. Each year, the family looked forward to the annual Thanksgiving festivities she hosted up until 2019 when her health started to decline. Extended family would come from out of town, stay the weekend, and enjoy eating good food, retelling stories, and playing competitive games of Dominoes and Skip-bo.

She was preceded in death by her mother, father, brother, Cecil E. Ferebee Jr, and her husband of 63 years, Phillip R. Hanshaw.

She is survived by her youngest brother, James S. Ferebee (Debbie), her two children Robert (Sheryl) and Constance Malone, her two grandchildren, Evan Wechsler (Emily) and Sean Wechsler, a granddaughter- in-love, Anne McCloud (Paul), niece Patrisha Lee (Roger), and nephews Christopher Ferebee (Amber) and Brandon Ferebee.

She has been a wonderful mother, wife, sister and friend over the years and she will be missed by us all. 

The family will receive friends before the service on March 22 at 9:30 AM at Morningside Baptist Church, 1115 Pelham Rd, Greenville, SC 29615. The funeral service will begin at 10 AM.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in her honor to Morningside Baptist Church.