Clara McCoy Elliott

Life’s Legacy Clara R. Elliott was born Clara McCoy Russell on June the 2nd, 1946 to the late Mr. Ralph McCoy Russell and Mrs. Lula Belle Russell in Mecklenburg County, Virginia as the eldest of their four children. As a “military brat”, Clara spent time living in Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, and Hawaii before finally returning to Mecklenburg County to graduate from West End High School in 1964. After high school, she spent the next four years attending Virginia State College (later Virginia State University), graduating with a degree in history in 1968. Clara’s professional journey began as a teacher at Central Elementary School in Boydton, VA in the fall of 1968, where she taught for one school year. Clara moved to Richmond after marrying Ernest F. Elliott in June of 1969, becoming Mrs. Clara R. Elliott. This was also the year that she joined Good Shepherd Baptist Church in Richmond where she would teach Sunday School for nearly 50 years. She also began her 40 year career in mortgage banking in Richmond in 1969. Clara and Ernest grew their family by one as they welcomed their first child, Marlin Dean Elliott, on January 14th, 1974. The couple welcomed their second child, Mia Dawn Elliott (later Mia Dawn Claiborne) on March 14th, 1975. The family purchased their first home in the summer of 1980. Clara spent the next 29 years dedicating herself to her family, her church, and her career in mortgage. In 2009, Clara retired from Suntrust Mortgage and began the last phase of her life. It was during this time that she began to learn to speak Spanish at a community Spanish class, volunteered as a tutor at Woodville Elementary School, took a gourmet cooking class, and joined a community swim club where she learned to swim and met a whole host of friends that she would cherish for the rest of her life. Clara also was able to travel to New Orleans, Louisiana, Memphis, Tennessee, Cozumel, Mexico, Honduras, Belize, Aruba, and The Bahamas during this time. An avid reader, Clara was a woman of many interests and strong intellectual curiosity who loved her family and friends immensely. Clara transitioned on January 24, 2024. She was 77 years old. She was survived by her husband, Ernest; her two children, Marlin and Mia (Marcus); her siblings, Lucille Watson (Alphonso Sr.), Ralph Russell Jr. (Yvonne), and Caroline Redd. She also had many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews that she loved dearly.

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Clara McCoy Elliott

June 2, 1946 - January 24, 2024