Helen Marie Gibson Beaver

Helen Marie Gibson Beaver, wife of Carl Edward Beaver II, passed away on March 9, 2026, in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Born on August 19, 1957, in Sumter, South Carolina, she was the daughter of the late Myrtle Billups Gibson and James Savage Gibson, Sr. The fifth of six children, Marie is survived by her siblings James Savage Gibson, Jr. (Weezie), Jack Williamson Gibson, Kathy Gibson Murdock (Fonnice), and Elaine Gibson Secrist (B.B.), along with many nieces and nephews who cherished their beloved Rie Rie. She was preceded in death by her sister Clara Dove Gibson Ward.

A graduate of Wilson Hall and Clemson University, Marie became a devoted Tiger fan. She spent many years in counseling, where her deep compassion and insight touched countless lives and helped guide so many toward positive change. After marrying Carl, she moved with him to his hometown of Charleston, West Virginia, where she founded the Rea of Hope organization. With strong support from the local community, Rea of Hope grew from a single residence into a six-home program offering abstinence-based, 12-step-oriented sober living for women and their children. Under Marie’s dedicated guidance, the lives of many women were transformed as they rebuilt with dignity and personal responsibility.

Upon Carl’s retirement, the couple moved to Pawleys Island to be near the beach she loved. There they became active members of St. Paul’s Waccamaw Methodist Church, which quickly embraced them as family. Marie’s warmth, strength, and unwavering commitment to helping others left a lasting impact on all who knew her. She will be deeply missed by Carl and the many lives she so generously touched.