Elsie Mae High

HIGH, Elsie Mae, of Bon Air, Chesterfield County, Va., passed away shortly after noon on November 23, 2009. She joins her husband, RAdm Paul High, USN Retired, who died 23 years ago. Elsie was born in Lynchburg, Va., on June 7, 1912. The family moved to Baltimore, where her mother, Dr. Elsie Bailey Casey, and her father, Dr. Patrick Casey, practiced medicine. When Elsie was 7, her mother died leaving the six Casey siblings to be raised by their father. Shortly before her 19th birthday, she married Paul High in Yuma, Ariz. Their marriage lasted over 55 years until Paul died in 1986. Elsie spent the pre-WWII years traveling with their three children often by herself across the country; across the Pacific to Manila, P.I.; and then back to the U.S.A. when evacuated just before the Japanese Invasion. During the war, the Highs lived in Annapolis, Md., and Northern Virginia. After her husband retired, they moved to State College, Pa., and then to Richmond, where she was a resident for 43 years. Elsie is survived by her children, Darrell High Wittkamp and her husband, Dr. Bernard Wittkamp, of Richmond, Paul High Jr. and his wife, Shirley, of Springfield, Va., and Judith High Boyer and her husband, Fred Boyer, of Valparaiso, Fla.; 14 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. The family will receive friends 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, November 30, 2009, at Bliley's - Central, 3801 Augusta Ave. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, December 1, 2009, at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church, 2700 Dolefield Dr. Interment at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery.


This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.