Elizabeth Lyon

Elizabeth Parris Lyon, 94, died Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2013.A resident of Manor House Assisted Living in Chattanooga for the past 13 years, she was born in Athens, Tenn., 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. Elizabeths 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 5 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. Lukes United Methodist Church.Survivors include a brother and wife, Jimmy and Oletha Parris, of Athens, Tenn.; a sister-in-law, Bernice Parris, of Columbia, Md.; a brother-in-law and wife, Paul and Lonnie Lyon, of Ringgold, Ga.; a sister-in-law, Pauline Parris, of San Antonio, Texas; and a sister-in-law, Bernice Arnold, of Georgetown, Texas; 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. Monday at Lane Funeral Home, Ashland Terrace with Rev. Larry Miller and Rev. Jim Penley officiating.Interment will follow in Hamilton Memorial Gardens.Visit www.lanefh.com to share condolences.The family will receive friends from noon to 1 p.m. Monday prior to the funeral at Lane Funeral Home, Coulter Chapel, 601 Ashland Terrace, 423-877-3524.