Betty Henry Young

For more than a century, Betty McNamara Henry Young enriched the lives of her family and friends with her kindness, optimism, generosity, and wit. After a long and happy life that she navigated with openness and adaptability, she died peacefully on Friday, June 27, 2025, at The Rainey Hospice House in Anderson, SC, following a brief illness. Born on December 9, 1923, to William John Henry and Florence McNamara Henry in Chester, SC, she was the oldest of their three daughters. Betty was predeceased in 2005 by her husband of sixty-one years, James Henry Young, whom she met when she was a freshman and he was a junior at Erskine College. After completing two years at Erskine, she moved to New York to attend nursing school at Presbyterian Hospital. She and Jim married in 1944 and moved to Baltimore, where Jim was attending medical school at Johns Hopkins and she worked in a lab. They subsequently lived in Louisiana, Texas, and Massachusetts before settling in Anderson, SC, where Jim joined his father and other family members practicing medicine together. Following Jim’s death, Betty continued living in Anderson until January 2020, when she moved to Clinton Presbyterian Community in Clinton, SC.

After a year of marriage, Betty had the first of their six children and devoted her time to caring for them. Throughout her life, she was first a wife and mother, still making time for writing poetry, often inspired by her reverence and appreciation of the natural world, her empathetic observation of human relationships and her perceptive insight and understanding of each of her children. Ever the student and lover of learning, she returned to college at Erskine and graduated along with her fifth child in 1974.

Always altruistic and concerned for others, Betty volunteered for various church and community organizations, including The Mental Health Association and The Salvation Army. She particularly made time for service to her church, Young Memorial A.R.P., named to commemorate Jim’s brother, Louis Gray Young, who died during WWII. Her theology was more liberal than many in the denomination, and she lived her life reflecting the values of engaged Christianity, service, love, and respect and acceptance of all.

Betty exemplified joy in life, cherishing her family and friends, for whom she always had a smile. She always maintained an optimistic outlook. An avid student and reader, her humility sometimes downplayed her intellect and quick wit. She loved words and was an impeccable speller as well as a whiz at solving cryptograms, usually winning at scrabble and often correcting grammatical errors in the local newspaper. She had a quick wit and often had a clever twist on a funny turn of phrase. She continued writing poetry and occasionally short stories throughout her life and published two books of poetry, Small Wonders and Forever Young.

Betty enjoyed extremely good health throughout her life – her recent medications were vitamins and eye drops. She got her first rollator walker at 100 and often commented that people told her she walked too fast, a comment that came closest to any hint of bragging about herself. She joked that she was a “champion sleeper” and perhaps her daily naps in later life contributed to her longevity and happiness. Never seeking accolades, Betty lived her life devoted to others. Her quiet strength was a cornerstone of our family; she was the heart of our clan. We are grateful for the many years we had with her, and will miss her very much, but her light and influence will always be a part of those who knew and loved her.

Betty is survived by her sister, Gertrude Henry White, known as Trudy, with whom she spent much happy time during her final years at Clinton Presbyterian Community, her children, Carol Young Gallagher and her husband Brooks, Barbara Young, Patty Young, Louis Young, Henry Young and his partner Annie, and Jay Young and his wife Marcela, grandchildren, Nick Gallagher, Casey Gallagher Reid, Josh Gallagher and his wife Mitra, Jennifer Brockelbank and her husband Bill, Stewart Wingo and his wife Brittany, Chase Anderson and his wife Amy, Bentley Anderson, Allison Young and her wife Fernanda Arellano, Erica Young and her wife Lauren Roll, Dani Young Sandole and her husband Jesse, and Alex Young, along with twelve great-grandchildren, William and Miles Gallagher, Annabelle, Hudson and Miller Reid, Bailey and Nicholas Brockelbank, Reese, Banks and Chloe Wingo, Aden and Vivian Anderson, as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews and cherished friends.

A private burial service will be held at Ramsey Creek Preserve/Memorial Ecosystems in Westminster, SC. A memorial service to celebrate her life will be held in the chapel at Brown-Funerals in Seneca, SC, at 11 o’clock on Saturday, July 19, 2025.

Contributions in memory of Betty can be made to The Jim and Betty Young Family Foundation, 22 Oleander Drive, Anderson, SC, 29621, South Main Chapel and Mercy Center, P.O. Box 13545, Anderson, SC, 29624, or the charity of one’s choice.