Elizabeth B. Parr

Elizabeth Baker Parr, 103, a life-long resident of Collierville died Sunday, November 6, 2011, at the home where she was born on October 5, 1908. A graduate of Collierville High School, she attended Centenary College in Cleveland, TN for two years and earned her BA from Randolph-Macon Women’s College in Lynchburg, VA in 1932. Following graduation, she taught school in Hughes, AR. While in Arkansas, she survived the flood of 1937 and began dating her future husband, Dr. William Dean Parr, a dentist in Collierville. Elizabeth’s teaching career eventually led her back to Collierville High School where she taught English and math for 23 years before retiring in 1977. She is most remembered by her former pupils for her love of Shakespeare, and she and her students annually celebrated the Bard’s birthday in April. A gifted story teller, she could talk for hours about the good ole days of Collierville. The countless miles she covered on her horse, Dick, the endless hours she spent on her home tennis court, and the numerous varieties of daffodils she had planted throughout her yard were a few of her favorite subjects. Possessing an uncanny memory and a passion for local history and events, Elizabeth was asked by the Contemporary Club in 1948 to write a history of Collierville, a copy of which can be found at the Burch Library. She was considered by many to be an institution, and few would argue that a chapter (and oh, what a chapter!) in Collierville’s history has closed with her death. She is survived by her son, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 10 at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Collierville. Burial will follow at Magnolia Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Collierville Literacy Council, or a charity of the donor’s choice. Online condolences may be made at

www.ColliervilleFuneral.com

Collierville Funeral Home

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