Rock Hill, SC – Betty Mulkey Hines, 91, passed away on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at her home in Rock Hill, SC.
Memorial service will be held at St. John’s United Methodist Church on Thursday, December 12 at 2:00 with the receiving of friends to follow.
Born on June 1, 1933, in Andrews, NC, Betty was the youngest of seven children born to Harvey Levi and Alice Melissa O’Dell Mulkey. She graduated from Andrews High School, received her Bachelor of Arts in Education from Western Carolina University, and earned a Master of Arts in Reading Comprehension from Winthrop University.
Betty was a young teacher in Charlotte, NC when an older sister, Margaret, introduced her to Don Hines; they would marry in November 1956 and have three children, Whitney, Melissa, and Carol. The family moved to Rock Hill in 1961, where Betty would teach countless York County students at Belleview, Lesslie, and Sunset Park Elementary Schools during her 30-year career.
Betty was a member of St. John’s United Methodist Church for 63 years where she was a Sunday school and bible school teacher, leader of her United Methodist Women’s circle, and member of the handbell choir.
After her retirement, Betty spent the remainder of her life dedicated to her family as a caregiver. Incomparable in her compassion and commitment, Betty was a caregiver for her eldest sister, Josephine, through her dementia, during her husband’s Alzheimer’s Disease, and eventually- her daughter Carol’s advanced Multiple Sclerosis. Betty’s unwavering faith in Christ and love for her family were all-consuming, easily witnessed in her tenacity, sense of gratitude, and cheerful heart. Courageous in her selflessness and endlessly thoughtful, Betty was an exceptional educator and wonderful mother, grandmother, caregiver, and friend.
Betty is survived by her son, Whitney Donald Hines, Jr. (Martha); daughter, Melissa Hines Monroe (Max); and granddaughter, Maris Joelle Monroe.
Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Whitney Donald Hines; her daughter, Carol Lynn Hines; brothers, James Mulkey and Hal Robert “Bobby” Mulkey; and sisters, Josephine Mulkey Cheney, Lucille Mulkey Davis, Margaret Mulkey Johnson, and Billie Mulkey Rogers.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. John’s United Methodist Church in Rock Hill, the Alzheimer’s Association, or the Greater Carolinas Multiple Sclerosis Society.