Megumi Handa Powell

Megumi Handa Powell, 78, of Charleston, South Carolina, entered eternal rest on January 18, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. Born on December 10, 1947, in Sapporo, Japan to the late Keimei and Ko Handa, Meg lived a life that was grounded in her favorite Bible verse, “What does the Lord require of you? To seek justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God” (Micah 6:8). She was a deeply loving wife, mother and grandmother, a kind and generous friend and a model of faith in action.

Meg’s early life was defined by an inspiring curiosity about the world and a commitment to service. She traveled from Japan to the United States for the first time to attend Franconia College in New Hampshire, supporting migrant families over the summer as a volunteer. Her fluency in both Japanese and English led her to work as a translator and tour guide in Anchorage, Alaska and as a Japanese teacher in Sapporo, Japan. One of her students in Sapporo was an Army Specialist named Charlie Powell, who asked her out on a date on the last day of class. They married on February 20, 1972, and their love story continued for the next 53 years, grounded in humor, hard work and deep devotion to each other and to their three children.

Meg served as a preschool teacher for decades, teaching at both Westminster Presbyterian Church Preschool in Charleston, SC and North Avenue Preschool in Weston, MA. Hundreds of students were welcomed into her classroom and experienced her creativity and compassion every day. Meg extended her work into elementary school when she was asked to serve as the Founder and Director of the Porter-Gaud School Extended Day program in 1990. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Meg served as a sales associate at Talbots for twenty years, where her kindness and sense of style were treasured by teammates and customers.

The anchor of Meg’s life was her deep and abiding Christian faith. She spoke often about her experience growing up as a Christian in Japan, guided by her mother and aunts. She and Charlie joined Westminster Presbyterian Church in 1977 and found their spiritual home. Meg served in a range of leadership roles at Westminster, including multiple terms as a deacon and elder and most recently as a facilitator for the church’s racial justice learning series. She was Westminster’s liaison to Interfaith Crisis Ministries when they opened the homeless shelter in downtown Charleston, and frequently served as a volunteer there. She loved participating in mission work, traveling twice to Reynosa, Mexico and once to Coban, Guatemala with the church. Throughout her time at Westminster, she made friends who continue to be her “forever friends” today.

Meg was also known as a generous host and incredible cook and baker. Countless family and friends have enjoyed good food and good company around her table, savoring everything from Frogmore stew to chocolate cake to traditional Japanese dishes. She was always in the church kitchen for Second Sunday Socials and other events. In the 1980’s, she volunteered to welcome and support Japanese families who were new to Charleston, providing them a soft landing in a new culture. Meg did not know a stranger and nourished everyone around her with deep care.

Meg’s greatest joy was the love she shared with her family. Meg is survived by her beloved husband, Charlie, and their three children: Miwa Powell Kamras (husband, Jason), Benjamin Alfred Powell (wife, Diane) and Saya Powell Wisseh (husband, Makedo). She was an ever present and much loved “Gin Gin” to her six grandchildren, Ezra, Akiva, Chip, William, Koji and Ada. Gin Gin always had time to cheer at soccer games, read one more book before bedtime and make sure a shoofly pie was waiting on the kitchen counter when you came over. She made every one of her children and grandchildren feel loved, special and encouraged to share their gifts in service to others. She was our role model, our biggest fan and a source of unconditional love who will always abide with us.

Meg sought justice, radiated kindness and walked humbly with God throughout her life. In big and small ways, she embodied the meaning of her name Megumi, “grace of God.”

Meg’s family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the amazing MUSC oncology team and the incredible doctors who supported her throughout her cancer journey, including Dr. Whitney Graybill, Dr. Don Dizon, Dr. Jennifer Pierce and Dr. Paul Nghiem. The expert treatment that she received added years to her life and enabled her to travel to Japan with all her children and grandchildren in 2023, which was a lifelong dream. Her family would also like to thank the MUSC 7th Floor West nursing team and the Roper Hospice team for their loving care and support.

We have felt God’s grace abundantly through the care and love we’ve received from our wonderful community of family, friends and caregivers.

A celebration of Meg’s life will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1157 Sam Rittenberg, Charleston, SC 29407 on Friday, January 23rd at 1 PM, with a reception to follow the service. The service will be livestreamed at https://wpccharleston.org The internment is private.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Global Missions Fund at Westminster Presbyterian Church.