Florence Gray Soltys

Florence Gray Soltys, 72, of Chapel Hill died Thursday, September 27, 2007.
She was born in Cocke County, TN, the daughter of the late O.G. and Addie Gray.
She is survived by her husband, Dr. John J. Soltys; two daughters, Rebecca Soltys Jones and Jacqueline Soltys; sons-in-law, Brett Jones and Stuart Henderson; and three granddaughters, Mia, Grace and Sophia. She is also survived by her brother, Glenn Gray; and her sisters, Druann Gregg and Carolyn Gray Spence; and her nieces and nephews.
Ms. Soltys graduated from the University of TN in Knoxville, TN in 1958. She met John, her husband of 48 years, while attending a Master's program in Dietics at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. In 1975, the Soltys family moved to Chapel Hill, where Florence became an active volunteer in the community and founded Chapel Hill-Carrboro Meals-on-Wheels. In 1982, she returned to school, receiving a Master of Social Work from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1984 and joining the faculty there in 1985. Upon graduation she began an energetic and pioneering career as an advocate for the elderly at local, state and national levels. Her clinical work in hospice, the interdisciplinary assessment of elders, telemedicine in rural areas, and reminiscence as the therapeutic tool with older adults informed her political advocacy and activism on behalf of the elderly. She worked tirelessly at local, county and state levels to promote and form public policy plans for the aging. She cherished her role as a teacher and mentor to students in the field of aging. She retired from her position as Associate Clinical Professor at the UNC School of Social Work, with joint appointments at the Schools of Medicine and Nursing, in June, 2007. She receive numerous professional and civic awards during her career, beginning as early as 1975 with the Outstanding Citizen Award from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to more recent accolades including the Pauli Murray Human Relations Award, Trustee of the Year for the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, Sharon B. Wilder NC Advocacy Award for Long Term Care, The Distinguished Teaching Award for Post Baccalaureate Instruction for the University of North Carolina, Social Workers of the year in NC, Ned Brooks Award for Community Service, Hospice Service Award, and others. She was well-known as host for the television show "In Praise of Age," and as a guest and consultant to a variety of NC Public Radio, News and Observer, and Chapel Hill News series on issues of aging. Author of many professional articles, she recently co-authored her first book, Transformational Reminiscence: Life Story Work. She was the current president of the International Institute for Reminiscence and Life Review Society.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Florence Soltys Scholarship, a scholarship for graduate students concentrating in aging at the UNC School of Social Work. Contributors should contact Kristen J. Huffman at the School of Social Work.
A memorial service is being planned; details to be announced.