Elizabeth L. "Betty" Lawandales

Elizabeth L. "Betty" Lawandales, 82, of Charleston, SC, widow of Eleas F. Lawandales, M.D., died Saturday, August 16, 2014. Her funeral service will be held Tuesday, August 19, 2014, in the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity, 30 Race Street, at 1:00 pm. Interment, Live Oak Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends Monday from 5:00 to 7:00 pm with the Trisagion Service at 6:00 pm in J. HENRY STUHR, INC., DOWNTOWN CHAPEL.

Betty was born May 24, 1932 in Brunswick, Georgia, the daughter of the late Olympia Moses Lamis and Pano Lamis. The family moved to Charleston when Betty was young and her father opened up the "Boston Hat Cleaners" on King Street near the Riviera Theatre. Betty graduated from Memminger High School and the Roper Hospital School of Nursing. She was the former Director of Nursing at Baker Hospital on Colonial Lake.

Never one to sit idle, Betty left nursing after many years to return to college. In 1975, she graduated from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. She then joined the staff of the Charleston Museum on Rutledge Avenue as assistant registrar, a position she immensely enjoyed, but which was cut short by the fire which destroyed the building. She chose to return to nursing, working in her husband's pediatric practice until they both retired.

Sunday dinners in the Lawandales home were legendary. A dozen or more family, friends and guests gathered around a table full of delicious Greek cuisine. Betty was also known for the simpler things, too, like stuffed tomatoes, crab casserole and strawberry shortcake.

Betty enjoyed crocheting, reading, working in the garden and singing in her church choir. Her greatest fun was traveling with her husband around the country with their square dancing friends. More recently she enjoyed dancing with family and friends at her granddaughter's wedding.

She is survived by a brother, Pano Lamis (Blanca) of Atlanta, GA; two daughters, Lynn L. Crooks (Danny) of Charleston, SC and Mitzi N. Lickwar (John) of Spring, TX; two sons, E. Frank Lawandales, Jr. (Rochelle) of Satellite Beach, FL, and Jason P. Lawandales of Denver, CO; Yiayia to eleven grandchildren: Daniel, Leah (Matt), Jared, Justin, Mathew, Stefan, Patrick, Sergei, Philip, Peter and Nina; and four great-grandchildren, Aiden, Lucas, Dimetri & Maximus. She was preceded in death by her husband of over 50 years, Dr. Eleas F. Lawandales and by her brother, Professor Alex Lamis of Cleveland, Ohio.

Memorials may be made to the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity Endowment Fund, 30 Race Street, Charleston, SC 29403 or the Savannah Grace Assisted Living Activities Fund, 1010 Lake Hunter Circle, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464.