Children’s advocate Shuptrine dies at 65

Worked to improve the lives of low-income families

By ISHMAEL TATE - itate@thestate.com

Everyone who knew retired children’s advocate Sarah Cardwell Shuptrine marveled at her energy.

“We all used to joke about the fact that she had more energy than all of us put together,” said friend and former co-worker Nicole Ravenell, 37.

At 65, Shuptrine had retired from her position as president and CEO of the Southern Institute on Families and Children, but was still on the board of directors and was actively involved in the organization’s Southern Business Institute.

Shuptrine, of Columbia, died of a sudden illness Saturday. She is survived by her husband, two daughters and sons-in-law, and six grandchildren.

Shuptrine was quoted Sunday in an article in The State about Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.

In 2007, Shuptrine tapped Ravenell to lead the nonprofit organization she founded in 1990 with the goal of improving the welfare of Southern families.

“Because we know that if you intervene and provide assistance to families early on, you can really change the life trajectory,” Ravenell said.

Shuptrine knew this after decades of work to improve families’ access to health care and to raise awareness of the difficulties lower-income families face.

During the administration of former S.C. Gov. Dick Riley, Shuptrine was chief policy adviser for Health and Human Services and staff director of the S.C. Children’s Coordinating Cabinet.

She also served on the Carnegie Task Force on Meeting the Needs of Young Children and on the national advisory committee for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s national program, State Coverage Initiatives.

Through her leadership, 2 million children got access to public health care and another million children benefited from their families’ abilities to get child care subsidies, Ravenell said.

This year Shuptrine was named one of five Women of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of South Carolina — Mountains to Midlands.

Even with her busy schedule Shuptrine was a family-oriented person, said Ravenell.

“She was really a person who cared about and thought about family. It’s what, I think, drove her to work towards making families healthier,” she said.

Through example, Shuptrine taught the people around her how to do business and communicate with people from all backgrounds, Ravenell said.

“She’s made the most tremendous professional impact on me of anyone that I have ever met or that I probably ever will meet,” she said.

Shuptrine’s husband, F. Kelly Shuptrine, said his family is still coming to terms with the loss.

“Lord, all of my grandkids are going to miss her, we’ll all miss her,” he said.

“She was always trying to do things. It’s nice having people like that around. She had a lot more energy than I did.”

Reach Tate at (803) 771-8549.