The Honorable Lizzie Young

LIZZIE MAE YOUNG was born on July 5, 1950, to Lucious and Lillie Rose Gant Young, Sr., in Furman, South Carolina. Lizzie Young was a lifelong resident of Hampton County. She was born and reared in Furman. She attended Furman Elementary School in grades one through six. She transitioned to Estill Training School, where she graduated second in her class at the age of sixteen. She realized at an early age that she wanted to become a teacher when she met her third-grade teacher, Mrs. Mabel Jenkins. During her senior year in high school, she fell in love with her French class and decided she would attend Benedict College and major in French. Her goals were to work at the United Nations in New York City as an interpreter. Before leaving for college, she was diagnosed with Progressive Muscular Dystrophy, but she did not let that stop her from fulfilling her dream. Ms. Young graduated from Benedict College with a degree in French in three years and then enrolled in Atlanta University’s Master’s Program in Education.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. She returned home and accepted a position at Estill Middle School as a math teacher, where she taught grades five through eight. When the district was to teach all fifth graders at Dixon Elementary School in Furman, she asked to be transferred back home. She taught at Dixon until the fifth graders were moved back to Estill Middle School. During her tenure as a teacher, she always set high expectations for herself and especially for her students. While at Estill Middle, she served as Chairperson of the Math Department as well as the School Curriculum Committee. She participated in the State’s Teacher
Incentive Program based on students’ performance on state testing. She earned incentives three years in a row for the high performance of her math students on the test. She was
also named Teacher of the Year three times during her career at Estill Middle School and was selected as District Teacher of the Year in 2001. She served as the coordinator of the
school’s after-school program.

Ms. Young was certified by the State Department of Education to train other teachers in the state to do Family Math Workshop for Parents and their children, as well as Cooperative Learning in the classroom. Ms. Young spent twenty-eight years in the classroom, which was her passion. She is often heard telling family and friends that for some people, they choose teaching as a profession, but for her, she says, “I was born to teach and the only thing I love better than teaching math is helping students to succeed.” She taught middle school math for twenty-eight years before becoming the Director of the HOSTS Mentoring Program (Help One Student to Succeed). During the first year of implementation, she, along with her assistant, recruited eighty adults throughout the county to serve as mentors to middle school students in language arts. The program received a National Award for being the only school in South Carolina to successfully implement this program in one year. She retired from teaching in 2005 but continued to work part-time in the school district as the Volunteer/Parent University Coordinator.

She founded the Estill High School Wall of Fame in 2009. The Wall of Fame is designed to celebrate the individual achievements of former students. The first induction ceremony was in 2010 and has continued yearly. Ms. Young also found time to serve in the community. She won the position of Mayor of the Town of Furman as a write-in candidate in 1989. She was elected as the first female mayor in the county and the first African American Mayor in Furman. She served on various committees in the county: PRO Hampton County, Vice Chair; Hampton County First Steps, Chair and PEARLS of Hampton County, Chair. In her leisure time, she found joy in playing computer games, spending time outdoors and cherishing every moment with her grandchildren. Her fondness for red reflected her vibrant spirit and warmth.

She was preceded in death by her parents, sister, Helen Belton, brother, Alphonso Smalls, Sr., and co-worker and best friend, Mary Ann Adkins.

She leaves to cherish her memories and continue her legacy: son, Shannon Young of Ft. Washington, MD; grandchildren, Antawn Walker of Waldorf, MD, Raekwon Young of Ft. Washington, MD and Ny’esha Young of Dallas, TX; great grandchildren, Onyx Walker and Aspen Walker; brothers, Raymond (Edith) Gant, of Richmond, VA, Lucious (Cynthia) Young, Jr. of Furman, SC; sisters, Virginia Whipple and Elease Gant both of Nixville, SC; aunt, Lizzetta Young Wright of Barnwell, SC; daughter-in-love, Laquisha (Chris) Hopkins; co-workers and best friends, Louise Deloach, Annie Ruth Griffin, Sarah Smith, Willie Wright, Vicki Pollins and Mary Gant; caregivers, Monica Ling, Belinda Walls, Elnora Jones, Debra Ling and Claude Holmes; a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

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