Gilmer Free Press
Aurelia Wilhelmina Elliott Marple Fiorita
Aurelia Wilhelmina Elliott Marple Fiorita
Born March 23, 1916 in Boero, Colorado died after suffering a stroke on February 07, 2011.
She was the daughter of William Mathias Elliott and Aurelia Arleigh Whitfield Elliott who lived in Peoria, Illinois, homesteaded in Colorado, and later operated a dairy farm in Braxton County, West Virginia.
Aurelia followed her adventurous parents and attended fourteen different schools by the time she entered fifth grade. Aurelia graduated with honors from Sutton High School and West Virginia University and completed graduate advanced degrees at West Virginia University and Virginia Polytechnic Institute.
She was preceded in death by her husband of forty years, S.G. Joe Marple, her brothers Hugh Elliott (Rena), Sutton, West Virginia and William Elliott (Virgie), Los Angeles, California. She is survived by her husband, Richard Fiorita who provided devoted and loving care to her each and every day of their life together. Aurelia and Joe Marple had three children: James David Marple (Barbara Slack) of Richmond, Virginia; Dr. Jorea Marple (Darrell V. McGraw, Jr.) and Dr. Laura Lou Marple of Charleston, West Virginia.
She is also survived by seven grandchildren: Matthew Travis Marple, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; James Benson Marple (Kiyomi Marple), Columbia, South, Carolina; Dr. Melonie Suzanne Marple, Boston, Massachusetts; Darrell V. McGraw III (Marianna McGraw), Lagos, Nigeria; Elliotte Catherine McGraw, Esq., San Francisco, California; Whitney Tyree Fleming, Morgantown, West Virginia and Jameson Ross Fleming, Lewisburg, West Virginia and one great-grandchild, Breckin Marple of Columbia, South Carolina. Aurelia is also survived by stepsons Richard and Jeff Fiorita.
Aurelia was a devoted educator. She was first and foremost a teacher to her children who she constantly encouraged and supported with words and actions to ensure their success at every educational, personal and professional level. Secondly, Aurelia was a dedicated teacher and a role model to her students who loved and adored her compassion and devotion to their success.
Aurelia was a teacher, central office administrator and business woman ( Marple Funeral Home) who managed every single day to juggle these demanding professional roles with being the greatest of mothers. Aurelia’s love of knowledge was continuous through-out her life. Like her mother before her, reading was Aurelia’s on-going passion –medical journals, science texts and educational research were her daily rituals. A recognized beautiful woman, selected by Hollywood’s Eddie Cantor as one of the most beautiful coeds in America, she never concentrated on her physical beauty but rather on living a life consecrated to helping others. She loved every day of her life and continued to dance, sing and play the piano until her stroke. She will be forever remembered by all who knew her as a woman of strength, courage, intellect and beauty. Aurelia made this world a better place for all of us.
A Celebration of the Life Service for Aurelia will be held Saturday, February 26, 2011 at 4:00 PM at the Christ Church United Methodist in Sutton, West Virginia.
The family encourages remembrances in the honor of Aurelia be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.