Hattie Elizabeth Ciulla was born on September 16th, 1924 to Victor Ciulla and Hattie Bell Joseph Ciulla in Escambia County, Florida. After graduating from Catholic High School in 1945, she went on to study Nursing at Sacred Heart Hospital School of Nursing. After becoming a Registered Nurse, she received her post graduate training at Columbia University in New York City, New York.
After graduation, Elizabeth served on the staff of the Escambia County Health Department, providing services to under-served rural areas.
Elizabeth married her husband of 59 years, David Banta Pendley, in 1951 at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Pensacola. They were blessed with five sons (Michael David Pendley, Lawrence Gerard Pendley, Joseph Eugene Pendley, James Victor Pendley and Thomas Edward Pendley.)
They resided in several locations, most notably in the Houston, Texas area. Elizabeth applied for, was selected for, and worked briefly as the first Registered Nurse for the newly created Astronaut Office at the Manned Spacecraft Center, while David continued his work there as an engineer.
After David's retirement, they returned to Pensacola, where Elizabeth was a founding member of the Catholic Daughters chapter at Holy Spirit Catholic Church.
Elizabeth was predeceased by her father Victor Ciulla, mother Hattie Bell Joseph Ciulla, her oldest sibling David Leroy "Buck" Ciulla, her sisters Mary Louise Ciulla Bishop, Flora Bell Ciulla Crooke, Lela Alice Ciulla Holden, Violet Marie Ciulla Hartin, and Dorothy Daisy Iola Ciulla. Elizabeth's younger brother Victor Eugene Ciulla (with whom she was very close) of Pensacola passed away only two days after Elizabeth, on February 12th, 2020.
She is survived by her five sons, nine grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm on Monday, February 17, 2020 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Funeral Mass will begin at 1:00 pm. Reception will follow at Oak Lawn Funeral Home from 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm. Interment service will be on the following day at 10:00 am, February 18, 2020 at Barrancas National Cemetery. The procession will be leaving Oak Lawn Funeral Home at 9:30 am.
