Elora Blitch Harwood

Elora Blitch Harwood of Tallahassee, Florida passed away April 14, 2016 at age 80 after a long illness. Elora was born February 17, 1936 in Columbia, South Carolina to Nelson and Jewell Blitch. She was the eldest of three children. The family moved to Gainesville, Florida in 1945 and in 1948 they moved to Tallahassee. Elora graduated as salutatorian from Leon High School in 1954 and married her high school sweetheart, S. Lamar Garner, in October of the same year. Together they had three children, Karen, Lee, and Linda. Their marriage ended in 1963. In 1969, she met her future husband, Dean F. Harwood, on a blind date and married him two years later on April 3, 1971.

For most of her 30 years of service with the State of Florida, Elora worked for Florida State University. She was first employed with the Department of Arts and Sciences but the majority of her career was with the Florida State University College of Law. She was Executive Secretary, Administrative Assistant to the Dean, and she also served as Editor of the College of Law’s newsletter. While working at the University and raising her children, she attended classes part-time whenever she could. In 1988, she retired as Placement Director and in the same year, received her bachelor’s degree in both Literature and Psychology from Florida State University. She was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the nation’s most prestigious honor society. Because of her many years of dedicated service, a room in the College of Law’s main building was named in her honor.

Elora was a voracious reader and an avid writer. She began writing poetry at age 11 and has written several hundred poems in her lifetime. For a year, she served as a Community Columnist with the Tallahassee Democrat. She wrote a monthly article for the paper.

During the first year of her retirement, Elora cared for her one year old granddaughter, Logan. Once Logan started pre-school, Elora donated more than 14,000 hours of volunteer work to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital (TMH). She volunteered with the TMH Auxillary (the “pink” ladies) and served in various capacities, including Secretary, Vice-President, and as President for two years. Soon after, Governor Crist appointed her to a three-year term on the Florida Dietetics and Nutrition Practice Council.

After her husband Dean retired from the State of Florida in 2000, they traveled to 14 countries including China, and many of the 50 states. She and her husband enjoyed 33 wonderful years of country living at their home in Jefferson County.

Elora was a member of the Timberlane church of Christ for more than 65 years. She was devoted to her faith and served the church in many capacities.

Elora is survived by her husband of 45 years, Dean F. Harwood; her sister Rita Broyles of Tallahassee; her brother David N. Blitch (Harriet) of Albany, Georgia; her daughters Karen Kane of Tallahassee and Linda Lashway (Peter) of Hadley, Massachusetts; her son, Samuel L. (Lee) Garner, III of Tallahassee; granddaughter Logan Bryant Thomas (J.P.) of Gulf Breeze, Florida; and many wonderful cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Foundation. Memorial services will be held at Culley’s MeadowWood Funeral Home, 1737 Riggins Road, Tallahassee, Florida on Sunday, April 24, at 3:00 pm.