Elizabeth R. McDaniel

Published 10:56 am Friday, February 28, 2014

COURTLAND—Elizabeth Randolph Johnson McDaniel, 85, passed away on Feb. 26, 2014, after a brief illness. Born in Virginia Beach on Sept. 3, 1928, she was the daughter of the late William Waller and Page Sebrell Johnson. She was predeceased by her brother, Sebrell.

Betty grew up primarily in the New York area where she met her husband, James R. McDaniel (Jim), to whom she was married for 60 years. She was a homemaker and professional volunteer throughout her life. Betty was a member of the Junior League of New York City and Palm Beach. She was also a member of the Cypress Cove Country Club and a past member of the Princess Anne Country Club in Virginia Beach, The Ocean Club and Delray Dunes Country Club in Florida and the Stanwich Club in Greenwich, Conn. In her younger years, she enjoyed playing golf, and in her later years she had a regular bridge group.

Her passion was genealogy, where she would spend hours doing research in discovering many ancestors. This brought Betty into contact with many historians from Massachusetts to Florida. Her interest in this area resulted in many memberships and associations of which she was very proud: Daughters of the American Revolution; National Society of Colonial Dames in the State of Virginia; Mayflower Society; Jamestowne Society, where she served as both an at-large member of the Council and as Audit General; the National Society of Magna Charta Dames; the Order of the Crown of Charlemagne; the Huguenot Society of the Founders of Manakin in the Colony of Virginia; the Order of the First Families of Virginia; the Order of the First Families of North Carolina; and the Hereditary Order of the Descendants of Colonial Governors.

Family was also very important to Betty and she loved her family gatherings, especially at Christmas and during the summer.

In her spare time, Betty loved her garden and feeding her many cats, especially Domino. She had many friends across the country and always kept up through correspondence over the years, given her many moves from Connecticut to California to North Carolina to Florida and then back home to Virginia.

Betty is survived by her loving husband, Jim; and daughters, Wynn, and her husband, Andrew Slater, of Greenwich, Susan McDaniel of Courtland, and Lee and her husband, Pierre Lelong, of Richmond. She is also survived by two loving grandchildren, Victoria and William Slater.

The family would like to thank the many caregivers who have provided invaluable support and friendship to Betty since her cancer surgery in 2010: Alice, Amy, Florita, and especially Cecilia Carson, who became Betty’s friend and confidant. They gave her much love and companionship over these past few years.

The funeral will be conducted at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 2, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Courtland. There will be a reception in the Fellowship Hall after the service.

Betty had a love of animals and the family recommends donations to the ASPCA in her memory or to St. Luke’s Church.

www.wrightfuneralhome.org