Betty Thorpe Hintz

Our mother and friend left us peacefully on the first day of summer, June 21, 2017, after a stroke interrupted her vibrant life. Never giving up, she fought hard to recuperate. Betty Thorpe Hintz was born in Chicago, IL in 1924 to Willard E. Thorpe and Ruby Lindholm. She was preceded in death by her brother Willard Thorpe, Jr. She married Raymond A. Hintz in Chicago in March, 1948, and they were married for 60 years before his death in 2008. She is survived by her children Tina, Curtis and wife McKenna, Andrew and wife Nathalie, Adrienne, grandchildren Christine and Tristan, several nieces and nephews, her cat Noni, and special friends. Betty graduated from Austin High School, Chicago, and attended Northwestern University. She proudly received her BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of South Carolina (USC) in 1995 at the age of 71, and taught courses in The Art and Culture of South East Asia at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at USC Beaufort County up until recently. Before settling in Bluffton, SC in 1985, Betty and Ray lived overseas from 1951 in North Sumatra, Indonesia; Mindanao, Philippines; Cape Province, South Africa; Singapore; and Bermuda. During her time overseas, Betty was never one to sit still. While living on isolated rubber plantations in Indonesia and the Philippines, Betty raised a family, including home-schooling Curtis and Tina and learning to make basic necessities. Betty was a life-long learner – she taught herself how to play the accordion, learnt Dutch, Malay, Indonesian, French, and Spanish. After moving to Singapore, she worked on the Singapore American newspaper, taught Malay to expat wives, learned South East Asian cooking from Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s mother, regularly played mahjong and bridge, learnt how to china paint, and volunteered at hospitals. In Bermuda, she was a Sterling Stitcher and Pink Lady at the hospital, and volunteered at the Bermuda National Trust, Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society, and the Bermuda Biological Station. After moving to Bluffton, Betty was manager and a buyer for Moss Creek Traders, a docent for the Bluffton Historical Society, continued to play bridge regularly, was a regular at the Thursday Evening Wine Club at The Pearl, and was an avid member of her book club, lovingly known as the Indivisible Book Club. Betty was a zealous environmentalist, and most recently had become politically active, having joined Lowcountry Indivisible. Even at 93, she continued to work out at Curves three times a week and always spoke of her wonderful friends she met “doing the circuit”. Art was always a big part of Betty’s life. The walls of her house are filled with her paintings and painted china. She was a founding member of the Society of Bluffton Artists and the Guild of Bluffton Artists, where she also volunteered. She also volunteered at Pluff Mudd Art Gallery where she had also previously worked. As part of her year-long celebration of her 90th birthday, she staged East of Suez, a solo showing of her art. Betty never stopped travelling, even in her later years, having visited Bhutan, Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Burma, India, and, of course, Indonesia. She especially loved Bali and was at the beginning of a much anticipated trip to Bali when she succumbed to the stroke. Betty touched many people’s lives, even complete strangers. In borrowing some words of her friends, “she loved life and lived it to the fullest”; “she was herself, right to the end: spirited, funny, determined and loving”; “she was an Amazon who always spoke the truth”; “the classiest woman I have ever met”; “her spirit will always be here in Bluffton”; and “sail on, sailor” A Celebration of Betty’s life will be held at 29 Greenwood Drive, Rose Hill Plantation on Wednesday, June 28th, 3.00 – 5.00 pm. Wear pink!

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to ASPCA,Palmetto Animal League or Children's Art Program at SOBA.