Elizabeth “Lib” Ayres Dow, 89, of Greenville, SC passed away peacefully at home attended to by her loving husband, Amal “Al” Dow on November 15, 2021. She grew up in West Point, GA and raised her family in Rome, GA and Cheshire, CT before moving to Greenville in 1970.
Lib was the mother of George Thomas Heard (Pam) of Grass Valley, CA; James Loyd Heard (Susan) of Greenville, and Richard Alan Heard (Karen) of Simpsonville. “LeLe” was the loving great-grandmother to nine, and the grandmother of James Young Heard (Suzette), Elizabeth Ashley Heard Meadows (Hunter), Joseph Christopher Heard, Austin Elizabeth Heard Greene (Ben), and Ryan Ayres Heard (Spencer-Caroline) and was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas Young Ayres and Martha Loyd Ayres, her sister Louise Ayres Spranger, and her grandchildren Lindsey Rae Heard, Sarah Ann Heard, and David Alan Heard. All were richly blessed by her warmth and generosity.
An active member of Buncombe Street United Methodist Church, her deep Christian faith was manifest in her love for others and especially for children. While raising her own sons in their early years, Lib was the foster mother to 24 infants and toddlers awaiting adoption. As her sons matured and left home, she ministered to developmentally handicapped young children, initially as a teacher, and was soon promoted to the Director of the Hollis Developmental Center where she served until her retirement in 1994.
Lib was an excellent cook, gifted seamstress, and decorator. Lib and Al loved opening their home to family and friends for holidays and celebrations and will be fondly remembered by all for their warm hospitality. Lib would have asked that any memorials be given to the Miracle Hill Children’s Home in Pickens.
A Memorial service will be held at 3:00 PM Sunday, November 21, 2021 at Buncombe Street United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 2:00 to 2:45 PM.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.mackeycenturydrive.com for the Dow family.
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