Gwendolyn Elliott
DURHAM, NC – After crossing off the last item on her to-do list, Gwendolyn Stager Crawford Elliott quietly passed away on Friday, March 11, 2016. She is survived by her loving daughter, Dawn Elliott Smart of Cape Coral, FL, along with a legacy of proving how much difference one woman can make in this world.
Born December 7, 1919, in Chambersburg, to Margretta Stager Crawford and Clyde Crawford, Gwendolyn was exceptional her entire life. She had a perfect attendance record throughout her entire elementary and High School education. And she was top in her class each year and Valedictorian of her graduating class. She graduated from Wilson College and went on to attend the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, Va., where she was the first woman to receive a PhD in Economics.
After graduating with distinction, she began her career at Wilson College as a teacher, and after a year moved on to the University of Delaware, where she took a position as Dean of Women. It was during her tenure at UD that she met the dashing A. Randle Elliott, a newspaperman and world traveler, at the inauguration of the chancellor celebration. Theirs was a romance for the ages. They were married two years later in the historic setting of Chambersburg in 1948, and then boarded the Queen Mary, traveling from New York to London in the luxurious honeymoon suite. Gwendolyn gave up her career to follow her husband to England for their first year of marriage. At the time, Randle was serving as a foreign correspondent for McGraw-Hill Publications and was writing for various publications from the war-torn cities across Europe, using the UK as a home base. Where Randle went, so, too, went Gwen. She traveled far and wide that year, and witnessed history in the making with her husband at her side.
Upon returning stateside, the loving couple made their home in Millbrook, NY, and became directors of a private resident school for children of “broken” homes. Greer School was a lovely campus, nestled in foothills about 75 minutes north of New York City. Together, they bettered the lives of hundreds of children who became extended family. Now, those children and their families carry the legacy of opportunity afforded them, thanks to the generosity of the Elliotts.
From Greer, Randle moved on to become the President of Hood College in Frederick, Md., and Bay Path University (then Junior College) in Longmeadow, Mass. Gwen, ever supportive of her husband, embraced the role of Head Hostess. Her social graces and superb intellect impressed everyone from campus administrators to heads of state. It was quite common for Gwen to host parties for 200 to 300 people at home several times a month, entertaining the likes of dignitaries, authors, celebrities, politicians and top CEOs. Charles Shulz, Bishop Fulton Sheen, Eleanor Roosevelt, Charles Kuralt, and Margaret Thatcher were among the dinner guests.
The Elliotts charmed life continued into retirement, when they moved to Durham, N.C. After Randle passed away, in 1990, Gwen became an active member of the Durham community, Church of the Good Shepherd, DAR, and extremely involved in Carolina Basketball. Their daughter, Dawn Elliott Smart, is a Carolina Alum and Gwen forsook her Cavaliers for the Tar Heels even during the ACC and NCAA tournaments. Her spirited love of life continued to the very end.
In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to your favorite charity in Gwen’s name. She supported so many, we could not choose just one. We know that the little shower of generosity spread around the country and world would make her smile and know that her spirit lives on in each of us.
A Memorial Service will be held at the Church of the Good Shepherd on Garrett Road in Durham at 3 p.m. on Friday, March 25, 2016. Condolences can be shared at CremationSocietyNC.com .
