Services for Charlene Rice Elliott are 11:00 am, Tuesday, April 5, 2022, at Faith Presbyterian Church with a private burial at Riverwood Memorial Park. Visitation will be from 5:00-7:00 pm, Monday, April 4 at Riverwood Family.

Destined for her eternal home, Charlene Rice Elliott departed this life on a beautiful spring morning, April 1, 2022. In her final days, she was surrounded by those she loved most: her family and dear friends. She did not suffer. Instead, she was sustained by and through the memories of a life well lived, the life-long bonds formed with family and friends, and, most importantly, her reassurance, conviction, and faith in her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Charlene was born to loving parents Maley Vernon Rice and Lydia Lucille Woodward Rice in Memphis, TN on October 19, 1934. At death, she was 87 years old. Having moved to Jackson, MS, she graduated from Central High School in 1952 and enrolled at the University of Mississippi, in Oxford, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education. At Ole Miss, she pledged and was a member of her beloved Chi Omega fraternity and maintained a passion for its’ ideals, principles, and symbols throughout her life. Also, while in Oxford she met, fell in love with, and married her life-long partner James (“Jim”) William Elliott Jr., who survives her in death.

Following Jim’s graduation from law school, they eventually settled in Brookhaven, MS where Charlene spent much of her adult life. She began her career teaching grammar at Loyd Star Attendance Center before focusing her time and attention on her ultimate life’s work of being a wife, mother, grandmother, and a great-grandmother.

Charlene was preceded in death by her mother and father and daughter Hallie Rose Elliott. In addition to Jim, she is survived by her daughters Meg Nordberg (Richard) and Amanda Warren (Brooks); grandchildren Elliott Warren (Molly), Lydia McLaughlin (Glenn), Maley Nordberg, John Nordberg, and Sarah Rice Halbert (Keaton); and great-grandchildren Anne Warren and Ellie James McLaughlin.

Charlene spent her life serving others. In Brookhaven, and elsewhere, she was active in many clubs and civic organizations. She was a woman of strong faith and devoted a significant portion of her time towards developing, stewarding, and furthering the mission of Faith Presbyterian Church in Brookhaven. She was a voracious reader which no doubt contributed to her keen wit and sense of humor she maintained throughout her life. Always the teacher, she was known for gifting books to family and friends with lengthy and thoughtful inscriptions as well as consistent, hand-written correspondence long after the days of e-mail became the norm.

Charlene’s greatest joys in life were found through her church, her family, and her friends. She was blessed with a faith that sustained her, a husband and family that loved and adored her, and the greatest friends she could ask for. She will certainly be missed, but her legacy will live on forever in the hearts and minds of the countless people who were lucky to know her.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any donations be made to Faith Presbyterian Church mission fund. The family also expresses appreciation to her caregiver, Charlotte Allen, for her love and support.

Condolences and other information are available online at www.riverwoodfamily.com.