Elizabeth Luellen Pyles

Miss Pyles graduated summa cum laude from Kentucky Wesleyan College in 1944: she was devoted to her alma mater for the rest of her life, among things serving on its Board of Directors for 40 years. The College awarded her its Outstanding Alumna Award in 1984, and was recognized as an Alumni Board Director Emerita.

Maintaining her support and interest in Kentucky Wesleyan led to the college bestowing upon Miss Pyles the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters in 1995. She regularly recruited and mentored many local students at Kentucky Wesleyan over the years. The College named its admissions and financial aid area the Luellen Pyles Enrollment Center in her honor.

Her first work was teaching Spanish and English in public schools in Ohio and Kentucky between 1944 and 1953.

She then joined Burke Marketing Research, Cincinnati, rising to be Burke’s Executive Vice President. During her career, she opened Burke’s offices in France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. Burke’s major client in all these countries was Procter & Gamble; all of Procter & Gamble’s employees in those countries were hired and trained by Miss Pyles.

After her retirement in 1976 from Burke Marketing Research, she returned to Mason County to help manage the family farms. She served on the board of Southern States Cooperative, and received its award for leadership, guidance, and support.

At home, where she farmed for many years, she was involved in Paxton Inn, Old Washington, where she was curator for 22 years, working to help preserve both the building and acquire and preserve numerous personal items from the Paxton family.

She also served on the board of the Elizabeth Wallingford Trust. She was a member of the Washington Study Club, founded in 1898, since 1976.

She was a member, and served as Treasurer, of the Limestone Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, going in under her forebear, Capt. John Mountjoy. The National DAR Society awarded Miss Pyles its Historic Preservation Recognition Award in 2013.

Miss Pyles was a member of the Trinity United Methodist Church, Maysville, where she served on its board of Trustees.

Other honors gained by Miss Pyles include recognition by the City of Maysville for her work as a Public Library board member and by Mason County Circuit Court as a Mason County Frontiersman

She leaves her close cousins, William M. Savage: Kathleen S. Browning; Robert M. Savage, M.D.; Kimberly Rogers; Suzanne Rogers; Perry Rogers; and John Pyles; along with many other cousins; her dear friends Mary Ethel Pyles, Jim Pollitt, Jason Gifford, Patrick Boggs, and Matthew Ruark, along with other friends, and her extraordinary care-givers, and close advisor, Louis Browning.

Services will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church, Maysville, KY Saturday, January 3rd, 2015, at 12 noon. Visitation will be at the church from 10:00AM to noon. Burial will be at the Grandview Cemetery, Mentor, KY.

Pallbearers are Patrick Boggs, Charles Fritz, Jason Gifford, Jim Pollitt, Stanley Hester, and Matthew Ruark.

Honorary Pallbearers will be Janie Applegate, Marci Dunn, Debbie Cooley, Sandy Gulley, Nancy Gallenstein, Lisa Hook, Mary Brinson and Bette Hook.

The arrangements are under the direction of the Knox and Brothers Funeral Home.