This obituary/eulogy was submitted by the family to J. Elton Reynolds, Sr. not long after her death. I've posted here to preserve the content and information it provides.

Leila Mae Prescott Ellis

Tampa, Florida

Leila Mae Prescott Ellis passed away October 23, 1992 as the result of a sudden illness. Funeral services were held at Curry and Son Funeral Home in Tampa, Florida at 2:00 P.M. on Monday, October 26, with interment following in the Garden of Memories Cemetery. Dr. L.G. Baker officiated and eulogies written by her daughter and son were presented by Edgar Campbell Middlebrooks and Margaret Lynn Boland Ellis, her son-in-law and daughter-in-law, respectively. Many family members and friends were in attendance. Words of consolation at gravesite ended with our traditional singing by the family of the hymn, “Amazing Grace.”

Born in Charlton County / Folkston, Georgia on July 25, 1923 to Mary Elvina Wildes and Owen Melvin Prescott, Leila was the ninth of eleven children. Her mother, Mary Elvina Wildes Prescott, was the daughter of Nancy Robinson and Alexander Flournoy Wildes, son of Maximillan Wildes of Scotland and of Georgia. Leila is survived by her grandchildren: Scott Campbell Middlebrooks and Aimee Lynn, Kathryn Lynn, and William Stokes Ellis; her two sisters, Ernestine P. Chandler of Statesboro, Georgia, and Sally P. Beale of Danville, Virginia; her two younger brothers, O.M. Prescott of Atlanta, Georgia, and Marcus Edmond Prescott, Sr. of St. Simons, Georgia; and many nieces and nephews.

A resident of Tampa since 1945, Leila was well respected for her talents and well liked by her many friends and acquaintances. She was a dependable and indispensable part of every organization in which she was employed or in which she volunteered to serve, including the Garden Club, P.T.A., the University of Tampa Athletic Association, and the American Business Women’s Association, to mention only a few. The following reflections written by her children say it best:

Cheri’s Memories

My mother, Leila Prescott Ellis, would want to be remembered as a person tender of heart, strong in will, and worthy of the significant place she occupied in the lives of others. I will remember Mother this way.

I will remember Mother as the pretty, high-spirited, confident young woman who was always there for me. I will remember too, our “meeting of the minds” as we both grew older, even though we didn’t always see “eye-to-eye.” I will remember always how she encouraged and believed in me.

Intelligent, headstrong, and intuitive, Mother carved out a life for herself that was built on determination and perseverance. Crises were aced with her jaw set, ready to meet all obstacles. As her children, my brother and I learned early that nothing is too impossible to achieve or to overcome. She gave us the gifts of security, sincere interest in our difficulties and successes, and most of all, unconditional love.

To Mother, family was more important than anything. Each family member was uniquely special to her and she never failed to extend her genuine love and concern for the welfare of each one. She was proud of her heritage. Her greatest desire was that we strengthen and maintain our common bond of kinship, cherished traditions, and shared values. Through her examples of loyalty and dedication to the end, we receive the challenge she left behind.

Today I remember Mother with love and gratitude. Like most daughters, I see much of her in myself; not perfection… no, NEVER, but genuine and unique? YES! She taught me to be my own person, to stand up for my convictions, and to accept only the best – nothing less. These are the precepts that are guiding me through life and through which I will remember Mother.

She would be pleased to see all of you here to honor her. Remember her fondly.

From Bill

My thoughts of Mother are filled with images which are difficult to summarize. I could try to describe to you what she was like… but the greatest tribute to her would be to share some special memories that best characterize the special person that she was.

I remember:

    * when she drew cartoons on the blackboard for Cheri and me when we were small
    * her musical skill on the harmonica and singing with us in the car on our long trips to Georgia
    * the light in her eyes as she watched us open our Christmas gifts
    * her repeated instructions to:
          o STAND UP STRAIGHT
          o HOLD YOUR SHOULDERS BACK and
          o EAT LIKE YOU MEAN IT
    * when she taught me as a college student to cut up a whole chicken in order to save money

I remember:

    * the magic she worked in her tiny kitchen – her chicken and dumplings
    * how skinny she looked in her old pictures
    * her leadership roles in PTA and Business Organizations
    * the pictures of grandchildren she forced everyone to look at… whether they wanted to or not
    * the time we collected coquinas at the beach for her to make coquina soup
    * her devotion to family traditions and her efforts to perpetuate them

I remember:

    * her love of old hymns and new country music
    * how freely she loved my wife and children
    * the way her eye twitched
    * her fun-loving spirit and her many friends
    * how she pampered her pets and her garden
    * her beloved Bermuda shorts

I will always remember:

    * her high expectations of me and her unwavering support of everything I did
    * how she was there when I needed her
    * her generosity and the many sacrifices she made in order to make other people happy

These are just a few of my own memories that speak volumes about Mother. I’m sure each of you has your own special memories of her as well. May you cherish yours as much as I do mine.