Mary Elizabeth Ramsey

Mary Elizabeth Chaffin (Liz) Ramsey went peacefully to be with her Savior on July 21, 2025. She was 95 years old. She was the daughter of the late Perry M. and Ruby Joan Warden Chaffin and the widow of John A Ramsey Jr, who preceded her in passing on September 12, 2022.

Liz was the consummate housewife and mother. She graduated from Isaac Litton High School in 1946 and spent two years at Vanderbilt University before marrying her beloved Johnny. She was very active in public speaking, even placing in a national forensic tournament while in high school. She was an excellent diver but was forced to quit due to a back injury.

Mary Elizabeth loved and was very active at Woodmont Christian Church up until a few months before her passing. She played a big role in the search committee for a pastor for Woodmont in 2007. She took claim in convincing the committee to call at the time twenty seven year old Clay Stauffer as Senior Minister. Reverend Dr. Stauffer remains as the Senior Minister today.

Mary was a voracious reader, consuming several books weekly. She took pride in her knowledge of literature. When her boys were young she would rush us away from the swimming pool to catch a radio show in which weekly questions about literature were asked, with a prize for the first correct answer. After she was asked to never to call the station again due to her answering correctly every question, she had one of us call, and she would whisper the answer. Finally all Ramseys were prohibited from ever calling again.

She was also an Anglophile. A friend of hers who had gone to London with her told me that Mom went there 53 times. She was only successful in dragging Dad twice. Another friend went with her for a week to study the works of CS Lewis at Oxford. Her favorite past times in London were afternoon tea at Brown’s Hotel, a distant second to the Red Lion and a couple of pints.

One of Mom’s favorite places to go was lunch and programs at the Centennial Club, a ladies only club, where lunch was served at 11:00. Her daughters-in-law , one of whom is the president there now, were happy to take her after she quit driving. She made many friends, some with blue hair, as she became proficient in balancing her lap tray.

Our mother was a member of Hillwood Country Club and was very active in tennis. When she took up golf, she complained about never being able to break 100. When people told her that that was not so bad, she immediately responded that it was for nine holes.

There was a small lake on hole 17. She was so tired of losing balls in the lake that she began putting the ball across the bridge over the lake.

Mom and Dad built a pool in the early 1970’s for the purpose of keeping their boys near home and welcoming their friends to swim. Little did they know at the time that the pool would attract two more generations. Sunday afternoons in the summer the pool would be filled with grandchildren and eventually with great-grandchildren. Pizza would be delivered, and the treat of the day would be a trip to Bobby’s Dairy Dip.

Grandmother and Papaw were never happier.

Mary Elizabeth is survived by her three loving sons and their wives John A Ramsey III (Sarah), Robert Chaffin Ramsey (Jean), and Laurence Perry Ramsey (Susan). She is also survived by her grandchildren Meredith Ramsey Kalt (Andrew), Helen Ramsey Rominiecki (Ryan), John A Ramsey IV (Molly), Elizabeth Claire Ramsey Hines (Mike deceased), Mary Anne Ramsey Moore (Trey), Garrett Chaffin Ramsey (Laura), Scott Laurence Ramsey (Alyssa), and Clayton George Ramsey (Anne Peyton), and thirteen great-grandchildren.

Our family owes an indescribable debt of gratitude to Mom’s caretakers, twin angels, Susan Reed and Mary Barcomb. The family will have a private ceremony and burial at a later date.

Thanks to all of you who have expressed sympathy and well wishes to our very fortunate family. In lieu of flowers please consider a contribution to Woodmont Christian Church, 3601 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville, TN 37215.