Obituary of Constance Mae Elliott

Constance Bennett Elliott, 77, passed away at her home in Glassboro on August 17, 2009, with family members gathered at her bedside. She was the beloved wife of Gene V. Elliott, and is also survived by her loving children Steven, Richard, Mary Lynne and Susan, her four grandchildren, and her sister Lynne de Voest. Mrs. Elliott grew up in Brandywine, Maryland and Washington, D.C. An accomplished musician at a young age, she was the organist for her church when she was only 13. She was the valedictorian of her class at Brandywine High School in 1949. Mrs. Elliott attended Mary Washington College, where she majored in music and was the president of her class in her sophomore, junior, and senior years. When she graduated in 1953, she had already secretly eloped with her fianc, Gene Elliott, the man who was to be her husband for 57 years. She'd met the big-band sax and clarinet player on the bandstand at a show for wounded veterans at Quantico Naval Hospital, where she was accompanying a vocal group. Mrs. Elliott moved to Glassboro in the 1960s, when her husband was hired by Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) as a psychology professor. Inspired by Lady Bird Johnson's campaign, Mrs. Elliott was a founding member of the Glassboro Beautification Committee. She also served on the Glassboro planning board in the early 1970s. Beginning in the 1970s, she was an administrator for the Glassboro State Celebrity Concert Series, which brought major acts to South Jersey. In addition to giving private piano lessons, Mrs. Elliott taught music at Woodbury Friends School and in the Glassboro, Franklin Township, and Washington Township school districts. She also served as the organist, and then substitute organist, for the Church of the Good Shepherd in Pitman, where she was also a longtime member of the choir and a lay reader. In 2002, Mrs. Elliott and her husband celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a church ceremony to renew their vows, followed by a country-club reception for family and friends. It was the happy fulfillment of the wish for a formal wedding ceremony and grand family gathering that their elopement had delayed for 50 years. After their retirement, Mrs. Elliott and her husband welcomed every opportunity to have family and friends join them at their summer home in Bethany Beach, Del. She delighted in spending time with her grandchildren there. The funeral will be Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Pitman, N.J. Friends may visit there from 9:30 to 10:45. Burial will be Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Leonardtown, Maryland. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Samaritan Hospice, 5 Eves Drive, Suite 300, Marlton, NJ 08053.