Kathleen "Kathy" Joyce Sharpe Younginer

Kathleen “Kathy” Joyce Sharpe Younginer, 70, passed away on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at her home after a long battle with neuroendocrine cancer. She was born on August 10, 1952 at Providence Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina. She was the youngest daughter of the late Lieutenant Colonel Dewey Sharpe and the late Katie Belle Joy Sharpe. Kathy attended Columbia area public schools and graduated from Columbia High School. She also graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of South Carolina.

Kathy began her career working with families of children with intellectual disabilities for eight years at Midlands Center. In 1987, she began her teaching career at Nursery Road Elementary where she stayed until H. E. Corley Elementary opened in 1991. She was an inaugural teacher at H. E. Corley Elementary and spent most of her best years teaching there. In 2004, Kathy began teaching at Forest Lake Elementary where she retired in 2008. Throughout the course of her career, Kathy developed discipline and respect among her students. To this day, she frequently sees many students, and gets calls, texts and cards from some of the kids she taught. Many of those kids are now adults who consider her their friend. Many dear friendships were made during her career, and many of those friendships continue to this day. Her closest friends, “The Girlfriends”, are a group of teacher-friends that socialized and vacationed together. Those who truly knew Kathy know that “The Girlfriends” got into many crazy hijinks over the years but they truly loved each other like sisters and will always be family.

Outside of teaching, her love was crafting. She crocheted, knitted, cross-stitched, and needlepointed. She eventually decided to give embroidery, appliqué, and quilting a try. Kathy acquired a room full of sewing gadgets, both modern and antique sewing machines, and hundreds of yards of fabric and thread in every color known. She has a closet packed full of sewing notions that she collected and inherited, some of which are 70-80 years old. She was a sewing perfectionist who made many beautiful quilts.

Kathy also had a love for animals and adopted many animals that students wanted to rehome. Her house was always full of pets, including gerbils, hamsters, a guinea pig, a rabbit, several birds, hedgehogs, an iguana, and several snakes. A corn snake (Houdini) that lived in her classroom is still alive at about 32 years old. She has had many dogs including eight Great Danes, an Irish Setter and an Old English Sheepdog. She even had a pig for a very short time.

Kathy also was involved in volunteer work. She was a charter member of Irmo Little League and served as Treasurer for several years. She also was greatly involved in conducting pet therapy with five of her Great Danes, and with them she visited Prisma Children’s Hospital, Lexington Medical Center and South Carolina Oncology Associates. Those visits brought great joy and comfort to many people during their darkest times.

Kathy was married to Edward M. “Butch” Younginer on December 21, 1972, and they lived together happily for 50 years. They had two children, Melanie Shea Younginer Maddox (Chris) and Justin Edward Younginer (deceased 2005). She is survived by her daughter; her much loved granddaughter, Mackenna Grace Maddox; a brother, Richard “Dick” Sharpe (Sally Knowles); and a sister, Patricia Sharpe Owens Craft (Reed Craft). She was also survived by a nephew, Sean Patrick Owens, who was like a son to her, and a great niece, Doster Bay Owens, who was very much a second granddaughter. Kathy leaves behind many other family members and friends who love her dearly. The family would especially like to thank DeeDee Beasley for her endless love, support and friendship.

A very informal celebration of Kathy’s life will be held at Caughman-Harman Funeral Home, Lexington Chapel, on Friday, December 30, 2022, at 12:00 pm. Kathy requested that her memorial service be a happy celebration of her life. Please dress comfortably, in casual clothes, as Kathy was not a formal person. The family will be available for visitation following the short memorial service.

The family requests please no flowers and asks that any memorials be made to South Carolina Oncology Associates, where she was not only a volunteer but also a patient. All donations to SCOA may help other families not have to lose their loved ones. SCOA Cares Foundation, 166 Stoneridge Drive, Columbia, SC 29210.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.caughmanlexington.com for the Younginer family.