Elizabeth Blackford Middleton, mother of four and longtime
civic leader,
died Thursday, February 24, at Devonshire at PGA National, West
Palm Beach,
Florida after a long struggle with cancer. She was 79 years of
age.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, March 19, 2005
at St. Mark's
Episcopal Church in Palm Beach Gardens, at two o'clock in the
afternoon. A
private reception will follow at Devonshire. Another memorial
and internment service will by held on Chebeague Island, Maine
on July 9, 2005 at the Chebeague Island Methodist Church at two
o'clock in the afternoon.
Born in Rockville Center on Long Island, New York on July
11, 1925,
Elizabeth was the third child of Benjamin and Elizabeth MacArthur
Blackford.
Her older brothers, Benjamin and William, gave Elizabeth her nickname,
Dugan. Dugan was known throughout her life as an inquisitive
and fun loving
hostess whose infectious laugh and probing questions stimulated
many
memorable events.
She graduated from Elmira College in Elmira, NY and Columbia
University
School of Nursing in NYC in 1948. She was married to Elliott Middleton,
M.D., from Montclair New Jersey on September 25, 1948 in Greenwich
Ct. The
couple had four children, Elliott, Allie, Blackford and James.
Following her husband's medical, scientific research and
academic career,
Dugan and her growing family relocated from New York City to Bethesda
Maryland, Upper Montclair New Jersey, Denver Colorado, and Buffalo
NY. She
and her late husband retired to their beloved Chebeague Island
in Casco
Bay Maine in 1996. Dugan moved to Devonshire at PGA after her
husband's death
in 1999.
A civic activist in each community Dugan was an involved
leader in the
Junior League, National Organization of Women and the Episcopal
Church.
Dugan completed a master's degree in urban planning while in Denver
and was
ordained as a reverend deacon in the Episcopal Church while in
Buffalo.
Dugan's professional career included serving as a urban planner
designing
bike paths for the City of Denver and serving as CEO of the American
Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Erie County New York.
Her
ministry in the Episcopal Church and in the Companions of the
Way focused on
religious education, spiritual direction, and pastoral care for
the sick and
the bereaved. Dugan loved to travel with her husband throughout
the world.
She enjoyed building second homes for her family to enjoy, first
in the
Rocky Mountains and finally in Casco Bay. In her later years,
she frequently
visited monastic retreat centers. As a life long learner with
keen interest
in art, psychology and religion Dugan could be found attending
lectures and
classes at Florida Atlantic University near Devonshire.
Elizabeth Blackford Middleton is survived by her sisters-in-law,
Jeanne
Blackford of Devonshire, Elizabeth Middleton Brown of Shelburne
VT, Betty
Prothero Blackford of Tiburon CA, and her children, Elliott Middleton,
of
Flower Mound, Texas; Allie Middleton, of Albany, New York; Blackford
Middleton, of Wellesley, Massachusetts; and James Middleton, of
Denver,
Colorado. She is also survived by her grandchildren Jessica and
Andrew
Middleton, of Flower Mound; and Julia and Lilly Middleton, of
Wellesley, as
well as several nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, all gifts in remembrance of Elizabeth
Middleton may be
made to the memory of Elizabeth's late husband Elliott Middleton,
Jr., MD,
to the Fund for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
Education Research Trust at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation,
1020 N. Broadway, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202.