Janet Hawley Bate

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 27, 2018 at Living Springs Lutheran Church, 4224 Hard Scrabble Road, Columbia, SC 29223. Dunbar Funeral Home, Northeast Chapel is assisting the family. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the American or Canadian Cancer Societies.

Born May 7, 1939 in Omaha, Nebraska, her childhood years were filled with music and the arts. She majored in music at the University of Nebraska, singing opera and acting. As a member of Alpha Phi Sorority there, she met and married Robert Clapham, and, moved to Bethesda, Maryland as a Navy wife. Later relocating to Seattle, Washington, she was a devoted homemaker raising three children and active in their lives as a school volunteer, PTA, brownie Girl Scout leader, chauffer to art lessons and picnics, cookie maker, piano player , host to neighbor children’s plays and performances, and grand singer of bedtime songs.

She returned to school and earned her degree in social work, later marrying Michael Bate and inheriting three stepdaughters, and giving birth to their own son. She enjoyed camping and hiking with Michael and all their blended family in both the U.S. and his native Canada. Later as children left, their nests and Michael began extensively traveling the world for Boeing, she loved accompanying him on long trips of exploration through Ireland, Great Britain and Europe.

After several of her children established their lives in Columbia, SC, she and Michael retired there also to enjoy life as grandparents. Following Michael’s death, she found renewed joy in singing in the choir at Living Springs Lutheran Church and spending time with her church family, as well as time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Music was her great passion and a constant thread throughout her life, second only to her great love for Michael, which never ceased. In addition to singing, she took great joy in the classical guitar playing of her son Shawn, Michael’s ragtime piano playing, singing along in the Irish pubs, and attending musical theater shows.

She is survived by her sister, Patrice Hawley Rosenquist; her daughters, Christina Clapham Cunningham and Catherine Clapham of Columbia, SC; her sons Brett Clapham of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and Shawn Bate of Lynnwood, Washington; her beloved stepdaughters, Sylvia Bate and Rebecca Bate Tataryn of Winnipeg, Canada and Rise Bate Caughlin of London, Ontario, Canada; her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, her former husband, Robert Clapham with whom she remained friends until her death. She is reunited with her parents, Dorothy “Dottie” Payne Hawley and Llewelyn “Brick” Carlton Hawley, and the love of her life Michael, in Heaven.

Please sign the online guest book at www.dunbarfunerals.com.