Betty Haring, 76, former analyst worked at Rice Museum
July 12, 2024
Florence Elizabeth Haring of Pawleys Island died June 30 surrounded by her family and friends. She was 76.
Known as Betty or Bettina, she was born Feb. 7, 1948, the daughter of James and Mary-Annie Sowell. She grew up in Montgomery, Ala., where she was a high school “favorite” and a cheerleader. She graduated from Auburn University with a degree in English and earned an MBA at Georgia Tech.
She moved to Washington, D.C., and worked for the American Petroleum Institute as a financial analyst. She married John Haring on June 23, 1984, at their home in Great Falls, Va. After the birth of her daughter, she worked as a docent at Dumbarton Oaks Museum and Gardens. After moving to South Carolina in 2008, she worked as assistant to the director of the Rice Museum.
Mrs. Haring also performed onstage at the Strand Theater and served on the selection committee for the Strand Cinema film society. Each of these places was deeply important to her, as were the people with whom she shared her time.
An avid gardener, Mrs. Haring cultivated beautiful outdoor spaces at her homes in Great Falls and Pawleys Island. She was also a talented seamstress who created ballet, theater and Halloween costumes. She enjoyed calligraphy, collected and pressed various plants and flowers, and loved taking photographs, particularly of the natural forms found in the forests and beaches.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by her daughter Haydn Haring of Charlottesville, Va.; and her sisters, Nancy Williams of Greenville and Dara Sowell of New York.
A celebration of her life will be held July 14 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Rice Museum.
Memorials may be made to the Rice Museum at ricemuseum.org or Brookgreen Gardens at brookgreen.org.
