Mary Ellison

Mary Beeson Ellison, daughter of Donald Richard and Elma Rankin Beeson, died Sunday, December 4, 2005, in Winter Park, Florida. She was born in Johnson City, Tennessee, on September 9, 1916. She received her A.B. degree from Tusculum College, Greeneville, Tennessee, her M.A. from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, and her PH.D. from the University of Miami in Florida. She married Reuben Y. Ellison in 1946 and they located in Miami, Florida, where he was a professor of French at the University of Miami, and she taught piano and related music subjects. She later taught piano in her private studio and in the Division of Musical Arts of the University of Miami. She was organist of Plymouth Congregational Church in Miami for 29 years and organist Emeritus after her retirement. She earned the A.A.G.O. and F.A.G.O. certificates from the American Guild of Organists. In addition, she was active in the Miami Music Teachers Association, the Florida State Music Teachers Association, the National Guild of Piano teachers, the American Musicological Society and Mu Phi Epsilon, international music fraternity. In 1990, the Ellisons moved to The Mayflower in Winter Park, Florida. Mary continued her music interests and performed piano recitals over the 15 years that she lived there. She taught piano at Rollins College in the Preparatory Division. She continued her interest in the church, joining the First Congregational Church of Winter Park and working with the children?s choir there. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Reuben Y. Ellison, in 1991. She is survived by her son, David and wife, Ellen; by three Ellison grandsons, Donald Rainer, Phillip George and Edward Paul, all of Miami; two sisters, Ann Gouge, of Johnson City, and Betty Helms, of Neenah, Wisconsin; and by one brother, D.R. 'Dick' Beeson Jr., of Johnson City; and several nieces and nephews. The family will receive friends at the Morris-Baker Funeral Home from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Thursday, December 8, 2005. The funeral service will be conducted at 10:00 a.m. Friday, December 9, 2005, at the First Presbyterian Church, Johnson City, with the Reverend Don Muncie officiating. Interment will follow in the Monte Vista Memorial Park.