Amanda Catherine Elm

Amanda Catherine Elm, age XLVII or 47 for the non-football fans, of Surfside Beach, SC left this world too soon on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. Amanda was born on June 22, 1979 in Langhorne, PA, raised in Langhorne, and was a longtime resident of Philadelphia, PA before moving south to Murrells Inlet, SC and then to her perfect home in Surfside Beach, SC. She leaves behind her incredible parents, John and Marie Elm (née Updegrove), her sister Marisa (Elm) McHugh and favorite brother-in-law Tom McHugh, her nephews Colin and Patrick - who she believed hung the moon, her "best good boy" Angus - the most spoiled dog in whole world, and the absolute love of her life Stephen Marcus. Amanda was welcomed home to heaven by her maternal (Charles and Marie Updegrove) and paternal grandparents (George and Catherine Elm), and so many others gone before her. We know she is reunited with her first precious doggo Ross, her SUPER friendly cat FluƯy, and her epic foster fail sweet Maurice. She will be incredibly missed by her many aunts and uncles, 20 some "real" cousins, 3 "wait, we're NOT related?" cousins, and the rest of the extensive family tree. To try to attempt to include all who Amanda considered her chosen family and all those she loved and loved her back is truly impossible; you know who you are and you know very well IF you were loved. She attended Our Lady of Grace in Penndel, PA and was a 1997 graduate of Villa Joseph Marie High School in Holland, PA. After finally convincing her parents that college was not her "thing", she began her Esthetics and Cosmetology education, graduating from Empire Beauty School in Philadelphia. Amanda has made this world more beautiful, one person at a time, for over 25 years with her incredible skill, dedication, and true gift to make everyone who ever sat in her chair feel like the most important person ever. It was no surprise when she moved to Northeast Philly in the early 2000s, and being a Philly resident is a fact she made absolutely certain no one ever forgot. She loved living there, especially so close to the corner of Frankford & Cottman, the (in)famous locale of every pole climbing Eagles Super Bowl, Phillies World Series and run for the pennant, or whatever game Philly fans decided was a Super Important one to celebrate the win of. Amanda was an active member of AOH-LAOH Officer Daniel Boyle Division 88, loved being a part of the St. Patrick's Day parades, a very proud shuffleboard champion, and always willing to try anything that came her way...even skydiving MUCH to her mom's chagrin. In early 2016, to everyone's surprise including hers, she moved to Murrells Inlet to be super close to her parents and much closer to her nephews, as they held a bigger part of her heart than even her beloved Philadelphia. As with everything she ever put her stubborn mind too, she added 10 wonderful new and often hilarious chapters to her incredible life here in Murrells Inlet and Surfside Beach. Amanda had an uncanny ability to make everyone feel welcome, a true gift for storytelling that made even the most mundane experiences become an incredible adventure, an unbelievably generous spirit (quick apology to everyone in the service industry for the sharp drop in income since Wednesday), infectious laughter, the ability to see the good in almost everyone, was a very bright light in all of our lives...yada, yada, yada. She was the life of the party we were so, so lucky to be invited to. Please remember her with more laughter than tears, as there is "no crying in baseball" ...even when her beloved Philadelphia Philles were on a losing streak. To attempt to describe her equally intense fandom of the Philadelphia Eagles by using a Jason Kelce quote was unfortunately impossible as the most fitting would absolutely not have received the "Marie Elm Approval for Publication" stamp. Thursday, August 27, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Michael Catholic Church, 542 Cypress Avenue, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina 29576. Rite of Committal will immediately follow in the columbarium garden. As an alternative to flowers, having masses said in Amanda's name would bring great comfort to her parents. While funeral attire is always appropriate, as it is still summer in South Carolina, forgoing the jacket and tie for a Philles or Eagles jersey would bring our girl great joy. As my sister Amanda left us on Wednesday with what will become the "Irish Goodbye" of legend, I'll wrap my longwindedness up, allowing her to have the last words for once ... Fly Eagles Fly and GO BIRDS!

Amanda Catherine Elm

June 22, 1979 - August 19, 2026