 Mary Suzanne “Zan” Ellis Edmunds, 84, wife of Blake Edmunds, Jr. died Monday, March 3, 2025.
Born in the Orangeburg Tri-County Hospital, Zan lived on a farm in Bamberg County until she was six. She was the only daughter of Mary England and Augustin Furse Ellis.
Zan attended old Columbia High School and Limestone Women's College. In 1962 she married John Wainwright Chappell of Newberry. After his graduation from USC Law School they moved to Sumter where they raised three daughters who survive her. Laura England Chappell Bauknight (John Edward IV), Cecelia Brooks Chappell Wildrick (Edward Staniar) - (Nick), Molly deTreville Chappell McPhail (Paul Curtis), all of whom live in Spartanburg, and her brother Augustin Furse Ellis, Jr. and Maruha of Pompano Beach. Zan is also survived by her six grandchildren: Ellis Stetler Bauknight Prickett (Andrew David), John Chappell Bauknight (Claire Johnson), James Campbell Wildrick, Nicholas Watts Wildrick, Heyward Luke McPhail and Thomas Noah McPhail; a niece, Firth England Ellis.
John died in 1980. In 1982 Zan married Lewis Heyward Fort of Sumter, who predeceased her, dying in 2001.
In Sumter, at First Presbyterian Church, she was Moderator of the Diaconate, sang in the Chancel Choir, served on The Session and as a Stephen Minister. She was a member of the Tuesday Morning Drama Club, The Cotillion, Les Trente Dance Club and the Sumter Jr. Welfare League. For ten years Zan was the Executive Director of The Fine Arts Council of Sumter. After moving to Columbia in 2004, she became a member of Eastminster Presbyterian Church where she previously sang in the Chancel Choir.
She married again in 2007 and is survived by Blake's sons and daughters-in-law, Blake Edmunds III and Ashley of St. Matthews, Francis Weston Edmunds and Kathryn of Atlanta and David Rembert Edmunds and Holly of Mt. Pleasant.
A silver life master, Zan played duplicate at the Columbia Bridge Club and was a member of two book clubs.
A graveside service was held in the Evergreen Memorial Park in Sumter with the Rev. Thomas McPhail officiating. The family will received friends following the graveside service. Online condolences may be sent to www.sumterfunerals.com
The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to the care giver team of Southeastern Home Health Care. Suggested memorials are Edisto Island Open Land Trust, 547 SC-174, Edisto Island, SC 29438, First Presbyterian Church, 9 W. Calhoun Street, Sumter, SC 29150, or Converse College 580 E. Main Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302.
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