Katharine Handel

Katharine Carter Handel, 73, of Columbia, died Thursday, April 4, 2019. Born on July 31, 1945 in Dayton, Ohio, she was a daughter of the late James Grafton and Jean Harrington Whipple Carter. Kathy was a graduate of Parchment High School, Parchment, Mich., and then earned her bachelor's degree from Michigan State University in social studies and received a master's degree from MSU in guidance and counseling. Later, she received a master's in education in school psychology from Wright State University. When she and her husband moved to New York, she attended New York University as a full-time student. Throughout her career Kathy has taken courses on a variety of campuses including the University of Hawaii and Ohio State University. Her work experience included teaching in high school, counseling in junior high school and interning for a year as a school psychologist. Immediately after moving to Columbia, she took a counseling position at Spring Valley High School. While a counselor at Spring Valley, Kathy helped to develop a career-based course for freshmen where students developed electronic portfolios. She co-presented her program at numerous conferences. In 1995, she became the first Director of Guidance at Ridge View High School. As the Director of Guidance at Ridge View, she organized guidance by career clusters and supervised teachers who taught the freshman career course. She also organized a career and college information center staffed by parent volunteers. Within months after retiring from Ridge View, she took a part-time counseling position at Richland Northeast High School. In all, Kathy was a guidance counselor for more than 32 years. Kathy completed several certificate programs, including a Primary Training Course from The Institute for Advanced Study in Rational Psychotherapy in New York City and the 40 hours of Family Mediation Skills Training from the SC Council for Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution in cooperation with the SC Bar Association and the USC Law School. Kathy was a Licensed Professional Counselor and a National Certified Counselor. She was awarded the Outstanding Counselor Award by the South Carolina Counseling Association in 1986. In 1994, she received the South Carolina Counseling Association Humanitarian Award. She served as the chair of The Faith Coalition on Gun Violence, and the South Carolina chapter of Alternatives to Violence Project, and Governor of the Mayflower Society of South Carolina at the same time her mother was the Governor of the Mayflower Society of Ohio. She dressed up as Constance Hopkins, a teenager who came over on the Mayflower, to talk with and answer questions as Constance for high school classes. She was an active member of Washington United Methodist Church, where she attended the Dawsey Sunday School Class, the Charles Pfeiffer Circle, worked with Alcorn Middle School, and was active on many church committees. She participated in a Women's Group, sometimes referred to as the Cult, for 35 years. Survivors include her husband of 49 years, Richard C. Handel; brothers, James W. Carter (Carol) of Kalamazoo, Mich., Charles G. Carter (Marita) of Concord, N.C.; nephews, James C. Carter (Rebecca), Jeffrey R. Carter (Ana Maria), Jeremy J. Carter (Jessica), and Austin S. Carter (Christina); eight grandnieces and grandnephews; as well as her brothers-in-law, Jeffrey J. Handel (Louise) of West Chicago, Ill., and Todd D. Handel (Divya) of Del Ray Beach, Fla. The memorial service for Ms. Handel will be held at 11:00 a.m., May 4th, at Washington Street United Methodist Church. Visitation will be held at 10:00 a.m. in the Wesley Room of the Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Handel-Carter Assistance (Scholarship) Fund at the Central Carolina Community Foundation, 2142 Boyce St., Suite 402, Columbia, SC 29201, or to Washington Street United Methodist Church, 1401 Washington St., Columbia, SC 29201. Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, is assisting the family. Memories and condolences may be shared at ShivesfuneralHome.com.