Elizabeth Anne Pope Heffelfinger

Elizabeth Anne Pope Heffelfinger September 5, 1926 - January 5, 2010 GAINESVILLE, FL— Elizabeth Anne Pope Heffelfinger, died peacefully in her sleep January 5, 2010 after a long and valiant struggle with cancer. She was born the 5th of September, 1926, in Chattahoochee County, Cusseta GA. She was on the women's basketball team in high school in Chattahoochee County and moved to Columbus, GA shortly after graduation in 1943. It was not long before Elizabeth met the love of her life, Ed Heffelfinger, who was attending Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Fort Benning. This eventually led to a wedding in Fort Knox, KY and a long career as a military spouse, traveling and living around the world: Japan to the East Coast of the United States; to Germany and Hawaii and finally back to her southern roots. From secretarial careers in the Pentagon to decades of dedicated volunteer activities in hospitals, Girl Scouts, Post Thrift Shops and hosting numerous foreign dignitaries and military officers, to raising two daughters, she relished their retirement to Gainesville, FL in 1975. She finally had her own home and several acres of her beloved beautiful gardens. She traveled mostly to Virginia and North Carolina to visit her two daughters, Elise Sloan and Elain Heffelfinger, and eventually to be at the births of her grandchildren, Mara Sloan and Kali and Max Murphy. Elizabeth (best known as Tib) was not one to slow down and loved her bridge groups, her garden, her family, and keeping up with many Florida Gator sports - from football and basketball to volleyball and gymnastics. She is survived by her devoted husband of 62 years, Brigadier General Edwin C. Heffelfinger of Gainesville, FL; daughters, Elise Heffelfinger Sloan of Atlantic Beach, FL, and Elain Heffelfinger and husband, Doug Murphy of Charlottesville, VA; sister, Katherine Pope Hearn, of Gainesville, FL; brother, Richard L. Pope; and sisters-in-law, Myrtle Morgan Pope and Barbara Stillwell Pope Jernigan of Columbus, GA; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by brothers, James Pope, Paul Pope, George Pope and sister, Sara Pope Cannon. A memorial service was held, Saturday, January 9, 2010 at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 1001 NW 98th St., Gainesville, FL with Rev. Shepp Lawrence officiating. Memorial contributions can be made to Haven Hospice, 4200 NW 90th Blvd., Gainesville, FL 32606.