Anne Rainey, 85, founder of 500-mile Palmetto Trail
April 3, 2025
Anne Walser Edens Evins Rainey died Feb. 2 in Asheville N.C., after a protracted illness. She was 85.
She was born May 13, 1939, in Columbia, the youngest daughter of Jane Gibbes Edens of Columbia and Henry Harmon Edens of Clio.
She attended St. Marys College and the University of South Carolina, where she majored in English.
Mrs. Rainey raised three daughters, nurtured many strong friendships, and was a master gardener and leader in the conservation movement.
She served as president of Columbia Green, a non-profit dedicated to improving and preserving the natural beauty of her home city and to educating the public about the environment.
As chair of the Palmetto Conservation Foundation, she was a founder and a driving force for initiating the 500-mile Palmetto Trail from the mountains to the coast of South Carolina.
She was remembered as a generous, strong, and fun-loving person, a warm and devoted friend, and an inspiring and loving daughter, mother and grandmother. She loved spending time at Pawleys Island.
She is survived by her daughters, Anne Eden Evins of Concord, Mass., Grace Gibbes “GiGi” Evins (Katherine Sloan) of Asheville and Julia Jamieson “Jamie” Evins of Oxnard, Calif.; her grandchildren, Heloise and Henry Evins-Mackenzie, Beck Evins, and Murray McCosh; her niece, Jane Mason Hawley; and her nephews, Chauncey Hawley and Chip Edens.
A memorial service will be held April 17 at 2 p.m. at the Pawleys Island Chapel.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Palmetto Conservation Foundation, 722 King St., Columbia, SC 29205.
