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Mrs. Bette Rose McGowen Stewart, 86, of Surfside Beach, SC, passed away peacefully in her home on Friday, March 14, 2025. She was born on March 10, 1939, in Willard, NC, to the late Elizabeth Norris McGowen and Robert D. McGowen. Bette was the beloved wife of the late Harry T. Stewart Sr. and a devoted mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. She was a 1958 graduate of Pender Lee High School, where she served as co-captain of the girls’ basketball team and was recognized with numerous class superlatives. Following high school, she pursued a career in cosmetology before dedicating 30 years as a childcare assistant at Busy Bodies Day Care in Myrtle Beach, SC, retiring in 2021. Bette found joy in life’s simple pleasures—cooking and baking, sewing, gardening, and caring for her beloved cat, Sylvestor. She cherished walks on the beach, listening to beach music and oldies, and dancing the shag with her husband. Above all, she adored spending time with her family, especially her granddaughters, Shannon and Shelby, delighting in their dance recitals, gymnastics events, and cheerleading performances. Easter egg hunts in the backyard and holiday choir performances were among her most treasured moments. Some of her fondest memories were of summers spent at Carolina Beach with her family and the years she lived on the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, where she and Harry Sr. raised their children. After his retirement from the Air Force, they made their permanent home in Surfside Beach. Bette is survived by her loving daughter, Joy S. McKinney, and her husband, Luther Keith McKinney, of Myrtle Beach, SC; her cherished granddaughters, Shannon R. McKinney, and Shelby L. McKinney; her brothers, Robert McGowen and his wife, Marcelle, along with their children, Allison, Jill, and Robbie; and Lloyd McGowen and his wife, Jane, with their children, Amelia and Lloyd Jr of North Carolina. She is also survived by her nieces, Susan Leffler Valiante and Julie Leffler of North Carolina. She was preceded in death by her husband, Harry T. Stewart Sr.; her son, Harry T. Stewart Jr.; and her sister, Joyce Leffler, and her husband, Maurice Leffler. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM, Saturday, March 22, 2025, at Goldfinch Funeral Home, Beach Chapel, located at 11528 Hwy 17 Bypass, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576 (Phone: 843-651-3295). A visitation will take place prior to the service from 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM. Burial will follow at Ocean Woods Cemetery, 2408 S. Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association - South Carolina Chapter at www.alz.org/sc or to The Ark Animal Hospital, 1011 Sixth Avenue North Ext, Surfside Beach, SC 29575. Bette’s warmth, kindness, and love for her family will be deeply missed, but her legacy of love will live on in the hearts of those who knew her.

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Bette Rose McGowen Stewart

March 10, 1939 - March 14, 2025