Elizabeth Lucille (Maire) Herndon

Elizabeth Lucille (Maire) Herndon passed at her home in Norman on Sunday, February 12, 2017. She was born in Park Ridge, New Jersey, on the first day of December, 1927, to Cyril Emile Maire, Sr. and Edna Anna (Hopper) Maire. She is greatly missed by her family.

Elizabeth grew up in New Jersey, Virginia, Michigan, and Maryland. She married Donald Floyd Herndon in 1948, earned a degree in Political Science at George Washington University, and had four children. The family lived in Maryland, Kentucky, and then Maryland again before moving to Oklahoma in 1966. Elizabeth moved back to Maryland in 1987, and then returned to Oklahoma in 2000.

Elizabeth was a generous woman with a kind and servant heart and was involved with many community activities. Shortly after moving to Oklahoma, Elizabeth joined St. John’s Episcopal Church and became a proud member of the Daughters of the King, which she served for several decades. She volunteered with hospitality for international students at the University of Oklahoma and shared her table and friendship with those from many foreign countries. Elizabeth also was a member of the university where she earned a Master’s Degree in Library Science, and started a 25-year career as a librarian in public schools and county libraries, as well as opening, owning, and operating a school supply store, The School Box.

Music was a very important part of Elizabeth’s life, and she enjoyed a wide variety of genres from classical to showtunes, and from western to 1940s big band. She was a talented artist and loved creating portraits of her loved one’s (especially children) using pastels. She was a collector of antiques, particularly blue and white china. Additionally Elizabeth was an avid English history buff, and one of her favorite pastimes was to trace her ancestry and build her family tree.

Elizabeth was “Betty” to her mom, and siblings, “Aunt Betty” to nieces and nephews, “Liz” to her oldest friends, but most importantly to her she was “Mom” or “Mother” to her children. She displayed a tremendous capacity to love, and she did so with all her heart. She demonstrated to her children love, giving and forgiving.

Elizabeth was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by: daughter Elizabeth “Tibet” Raymond and her husband Doug of Elmore City, OK and their son Nicholas, and Nicholas and Brittni Raymond’s son (Elizabeth’s great-grandson) Josh; Cary Wolfard and her husband Steve of Oklahoma City and their children Drew and Scott; Jennie Patterson and husband Terry of Norman; and son Alex Herndon and wife Amy of Rockville, Maryland and their children Dorothy and Matthew.

Elizabeth’s family thanks the community of people whose kindness and care meant so much to her. They especially thank Millie Tolson; Linda Hilliard; Hearts at Home Companion Care, especially Marcia Crook, Deta Bennett, and Lesley Johnson; and McCortney Hospice for their devotion and assistance.