Florence Elizabeth Buck Malone

Florence Elizabeth Buck Malone Florence Elizabeth Buck Malone died in Austin, Texas on September 9, 2011, at the age of 91 after a long and happy life. She was born on August 17, 1920, in Clarksville, Tennessee. Elizabeth's family moved to Nashville, Tennessee in the spring of 1921. She graduated from Central High School in 1937. After graduation, she worked for Claude P. Street Piano Company where she used her ability to read music to demonstrate the pianos and entertain customers. Elizabeth became an accomplished musician and later earned a piano teaching certificate. She was a member of First Lutheran Church in Nashville, Tennessee and Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Arlington, Texas and was church organist for twenty years. Her favorite hymns were Luther's "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" and Bach's "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring." Elizabeth married Charles Bruce Malone, Jr., on June 28, 1941 in Wightman Chapel at Scarritt College in Nashville. Charles, Elizabeth and only son Bruce moved to Texas in 1949, living briefly in Fort Worth before moving to Arlington, Texas. Elizabeth worked as secretary to Arlington High School Principal John Webb, retiring in 1975. She and Charles later owned and managed a thriving plant business known as Malone's Cottage Garden, a gardening destination for friends and devoted customers for twenty years. She and Charles also spent many happy times together on the beach at South Padre Island fishing and relaxing. In 2009, she and Charles moved to Austin, Texas, to be close to family. Elizabeth achieved excellence in several decorative handicrafts including tole painting, crewel, needlepoint and petite point. She created many heirlooms that will be treasured by her family for generations to come. She also shared a love of camellias with Charles. Together they raised camellias at their Arlington home and successfully showed numerous prize winning varieties across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Elizabeth was a member of the Fort Worth Camellia Society and a respected camellia judge. Most importantly, Elizabeth was a loving wife to Charles for 70 years, loving mother to son Bruce, grandmother and great grandmother. She was preceded in death by her parents Robert Elmo and Mary Ann Meek Buck, two sisters Sarah Warden and Mary Lou Davis and grandson Michael Scott Malone. She is survived by her devoted husband, Charles Bruce Malone, Jr.; son Charles Bruce Malone, III, M.D. and wife Libby of Austin, Texas; granddaughter Ellen Elizabeth Hourigan and husband James of Sydney, Australia; granddaughter Kathryn Ashcom Weiss and husband Nicholas of Los Angeles, California; great granddaughters Annabel and Charlotte Hourigan and extended family members in Tennessee and across the country. The family thanks nephew Mark Davis and close friend Neta Morse for their special devotion to Elizabeth. A graveside service for Elizabeth will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 15, 2011 at Austin Memorial Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, gifts of remembrance may be made to the Michael Scott Malone Scholarship Fund at Austin Community Foundation or the charity of your choice. Obituary and memorial guestbook available online at www.wcfish.com