Elizabeth Lyon
Elizabeth Parris Lyon, 94, died on Wednesday, September 25, 2013.
A resident of Manor House Assisted Living in Chattanooga for the past 13 years, she was born in Athens, Tn., to the late Horace Hayden and Pearl Allen Parris. Elizabeth graduated from McMinn County High School in 1934 at the age of 15 where she won the American Legion Award for Outstanding Student. She graduated salutatorian from Tennessee Wesleyan College in 1936 and valedictorian from Lincoln Memorial University at the age of 19. She continued her teacher training at the Peabody Teaching College of Vanderbilt University.
Elizabeth’s passion was education and she was a widely respected teacher among her students and peers. She began her teaching at Clay Hill, a one-room school in McMinn County with eight grades of 19 students. She went on to teach at Forest Hill Elementary in Athens before teaching at Etowah High School for five years. In 1947, she began teaching English at Red Bank High School until her retirement in 1982. During her tenure at Red Bank, she served as head of the English Department.
She was an excellent cook, seamstress, gardener, and homemaker. She loved classic literature and poetry and enjoyed time with family and friends.
Elizabeth was preceded in death by husband of 65 years, Homer C. Lyon; and brothers, Charles Parris and James Parris.
She was a member of the St. Luke's United Methodist Church.
Survivors include a brother and wife, Jimmy and Oletha Parris of Athens, Tn.; a sister-in-law, Bernice Parris of Columbia, Md.; a brother-in-law and wife, Paul and Lonnie Lyon of Ringgold; a sister-in-law, Pauline Parris of San Antonio, Tx.; and a sister-in-law, Bernice Arnold of Georgetown, Tx., and many special nieces and nephews.
The family would like to extend a special thanks to her three loving sitters, Gail Brown, Barbara Vaughn, Pat Chandler and the staff of Manor House Assisted Living.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30, at Lane Funeral Home, Ashland Terrace with Reverend Larry Miller and Reverend Jim Penley officiating. Interment will follow in Hamilton Memorial Gardens.
The family will receive friends from 12-1 p.m. on Monday, prior to the funeral, at Lane Funeral Home, Coulter Chapel, 601 Ashland Terrace, 423 877-3524.
Visit www.lanefh.com to share condolences.