Elizabeth Rowley

It is with great sadness that we announce that Elizabeth Rowley passed away peacefully with family by her side on August 26th, 2024 at her home on Hilton Head Island.

Elizabeth was born June 11, 1935 in Santa Maria, California, and was raised in San Francisco.  She moved to the Washington, DC area in the 1960’s and raised her children there.  As a mother, she taught her children kindness and good manners, instilled in them an understanding of the importance of education, and imparted her own strong work ethic to each of them.  She also passed on to her children and grandchildren her love of adventurous travel; in the 1970’s she took her children to the beautiful island of St. John in the Caribbean, and she continued to visit the island with her children and their growing families through the years.  In 2001 she built a house on St. John, and ultimately four generations of her family were introduced to the beauty of that special island.  

Elizabeth purchased Harbour Town Crafts in 1983, and operated it for 21 years as a thriving business in Sea Pines with help from her daughters and many dear friends.  She acquired a second business in 1993, Harbour Town Toys, and ran it with help from her son, Bill, until 2001.  

In 1984 she married Charles James, who sadly passed away in 1989.  In 2006 she married long-time friend, Brock Rowley, and they enjoyed a happy married life, traveling with friends and spending summers at Linville, North Carolina.

Elizabeth had a special bond with all her grandchildren, and she cherished her great-grandchildren.  The time she spent with her grandchildren at holidays and in St. John is fondly remembered by them, and the example she set influenced them greatly.  

Elizabeth is survived by her loving and devoted husband, Brock Rowley, by her brother, John Young of San Leandro, CA, and by her children, Cathy Stangroom (Rob) of Osceola, WI, Elizabeth Kinney (John) of Bald Head Island, NC, Pat Jackson (Dan) of Hilton Head Island, SC, and Bill Cunningham (Cindy) of Pagosa Springs, CO, and by her seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to Josephine Moore for her dedication and kindness over the years and especially during this difficult time.  We are also grateful for the kind and compassionate care Elizabeth received from Lisa and Latoya.  The service will be private.  In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the charity of their choice.

Elizabeth was a wonderful friend, an independent and successful woman, and a supportive parent and grandparent whose constant and unconditional love sustained her family.  She was generous with her time and her resources, and was as elegant as she was kind.  She was that rarest of things: a truly virtuous person.  The world has lost a beautiful, kind, loving soul.