Obituary of Rachel Anne Hollingsworth Owens

Rachel Anne Hollingsworth Owens of Leesville, SC went to be with her Lord and Savior on November 5, 2020.  She was born in Lancaster, SC on December 22, 1949 to the late Benjamin Miller Hollingsworth and Iris Dean (Mullis) Hollingsworth.  The family moved to Columbia in 1961.

Anne attended Hand Jr. High and Dreher High School (Class of 1968) and attained her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina.  She worked in the private sector for a brief time before settling into a career with the South Carolina Employment Security Commission (SCESC) in 1978.  There, she held a number of positions in the Unemployment Insurance Benefits Division.  Mrs. Owens developed a passion for helping both individuals unemployed as a result of no fault of their own as well as the business sector in creating and maintaining employment opportunities for South Carolinians.  Anne was a member of the International Association of Personnel in Employment Security (IAPES) which later became the International Association of Workforce Professionals (IAWP).  She held positions at the Midlands sub-chapter and at the state chapter levels as Vice President and President.  She worked on committees and as a board member at the district, national and international levels.  During her tenure, the SC chapter was internationally recognized for excellence in providing both employment and unemployment services for the citizens and businesses of South Carolina.

It is at the SCESC where Anne had the opportunity to develop life-long friendships with coworkers, and it is also here where she hired and mentored people who worked in the UI Division.  There are numerous people who have benefited from her guidance and leadership over the course of her thirty year career serving the state of South Carolina and its citizens.  Mrs. Owens retired from the SC Employment Security Commission in 2008 as the Director of the UI Benefits Division, the first female to hold the position.

Mrs. Owens is survived by her loving husband of fifty years, Fred L. Owens, Sr. of Leesville and her son, Fred L. Owens, Jr. of Columbia.  She is also survived by her four sisters; Martha H. Brazelle of Cayce, Jane Bloschock (Leo) of Columbia, Charlotte Helms of Pelion and Lee Disbrow (Tom) of West Columbia.  Anne was also blessed and survived by an extended family of cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews and aunts.  In addition to her parents, Anne was predeceased by her brothers-in-law, Donald L. Helms, III and James W. Brazelle, III, as well as her daughter in law, Debra S. Owens.

The visitation will be held at Spring Valley Baptist Church, 91 Polo Rd., Columbia, SC 29223 on Thursday, November 12, 2020 at 9:30 AM.  The funeral service will immediately follow at the church at 10:30 AM.  A graveside service will be held at Fort Jackson National Cemetery, 4170 Percival Rd., Columbia, SC 29229 at 12:00 PM.  The family encourages the use of face coverings and hand sanitizer while also practicing social distancing at the visitation and funeral services.  Your cooperation is appreciated.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research or The American Cancer Society in memory of Anne.

Anne Owens' funeral service will be livestreamed for the public. You can watch her funeral service as it happens (10:30 AM, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020) at the following link:

Anne Owens Funeral