Published by Legacy Remembers on Jul. 25, 2025.
Elaine Mowery, 76, left this life on November 22, 2024, while in hospice care at Page Memorial Hospital, surrounded by family, after a long battle with cancer. She was born on September 22, 1948, in Arlington, Virginia, the first child of Stuart and Mildred (Funk) Mowery both deceased. Elaine graduated from W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax, VA in 1966. Following graduation, she attended Bridgewater College. She worked as an analyst for the Naval Intelligence Command in Virginia (1969-1973), supporting the identification and tracking of Navy POWs during the Vietnam War. She relocated to San Diego, CA (1973-1976) working for the Navy Center for POW Studies conducting research concerning POW captivity and assisting POWs in readjusting to healthy, productive lives. She was a recognized research contributor for the book, Family Separation and Reunion, Families of Prisoners of War and Servicemen Missing in Action (Jan 1974) and co-author of the journal article, Resistance Posture and the Vietnam Prisoner of War, Journal of Political and Military Sociology (Fall 1976).
Elaine moved back to Virginia in 1976 and completed her Accounting Degree at Shepherd University in West Virginia. Her first job as an accountant was with Schwartz Brothers in Maryland (1978-1980). She went on to work for Evaluation Research Corp in contract administration (1980-1984), served as Director of Contracts at Maxima Corp (1983-1998), and in various positions in contract administration for Alion Science and Technology from 1998 until she retired in 2017.
When she retired, she built her dream home in
Rileyville, VA on acreage, surrounded by beautiful mountains with her longtime friend Rosemary and next to her brother Tom and his family. She embraced retirement and even found she loved mowing her grass. She became the family historian and genealogist, a master crafter including making homemade cards for all the family, and her home was the center of many family events. She hosted several extended family
reunions, the most recent in July 2024 with more than 100 family members in attendance. Shewas especially close with her nine nieces and nephews - Brian Dean, Christie (Blevins) Gardner, Cathy (Blevins) Lilly, Dan Mowery, Amanda (Mowery) Shenk, Mike Mowery, Hannah Mowery, Alex Morgan and Lauren (Morgan) Skiles - and was always a part of their lives. She continued that tradition with her grand nieces and nephews - Amelia and Samantha Dean, Finley and Case
Gardner, Parker and Nash Lilly, Jack and Eleanor Morgan, Trea Shenk and Everly Skiles. Trea Shenk, who lived nearby, visited daily, and his visits became the highlight of her day. She was an avid animal lover and was always surrounded by her loving puppies.
Elaine is survived by her siblings Janet (Mowery) and husband Don Liberatore, Mary (Mowery) Blevins, Tom Mowery and wife Linda (Abbott), Donna (Mowery) and husband Craig Morgan, longstanding roommate Rosemary Prillaman, many nieces and nephews and extended family members. She was preceded in death by her brother-in-law Philip Blevins.
A memorial service was held on May 17, 2025. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the University of Virginia Cancer Center
www.givecampus.com),
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (
www.stjude.org), or the Page County Animal Shelter, 1261
Goodrich Road, Stanley, VA 22851.