Elizabeth Kennard Neal

Elizabeth was born on December 6, 1927, in Baltimore, MD. She was the only child of John Hanson Kennard and Elizabeth Duffy Kennard. Her father was a Colonel in the United States Army and as a child she lived on many Army bases until they settled in her father’s home in New Orleans, LA. Her family became prominent members of New Orleans society and Elizabeth was honored as Queen of the Krewe of Comus for Mardi Gras in 1949.

Elizabeth attended McGee High School in New Orleans and graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 1949.

In 1956 she met her future husband, Bernard Neeson Neal, Jr., when they were introduced by a mutual friend. They were married on June 29, 1957 and moved to Rome, GA where they lived for 57 years. She was a member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.

Elizabeth was heavily involved in many organizations including: the Junior League of New Orleans; the Seven Hills garden Club; the Federated Garden Clubs, where she served as president; the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in Georgia, where she served as chairman of the Rome Town Committee and Regent of Gunston Hall; the Junior Service League of Rome and co-founding member of the Co-Vesters, just to name a few.

Elizabeth is survived by her husband; her two children, John Kennard Neal and Elizabeth Neal Allen (Lisa); their spouses, Joy Jones Neal and Clay Patrick Allen, and her five grandchildren, Elizabeth Tyler Allen, Spencer Patrick Allen, Neal Frazer Allen, Frances Carter Neal and John Kennard Neal, Jr.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, November 1, 2014, at 10 o'clock at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Rome, GA, and a memorial service will be held Sunday, November 2, 2014, at Patterson’s - Spring Hill Funeral Home in Atlanta, GA on Spring St. at 2:30 o'clock. Visitation will be held at Patterson’s on Sunday from 1 until 2:30 o'clock.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Rome Federated Garden Club, c/o Diane Harbin, president, 11 Ridgewood Rd., Rome, GA 30165.