Emily Rustin Elmore

1936 - 2022

ELMORE, Mrs. Emily Rustin, was born on September 14, 1936, in Norfolk, Virginia. She passed peacefully on the evening of Thursday, June 23, 2022. Emily is survived by her loving husband of 64 years, Stanley McDowell Elmore; her four sons, Kelly Rustin Elmore (Lee), Stephen Mark Elmore (Helen), Andrew Glenn Elmore (Lynne) and Peter Sean Elmore (Angela); 10 grandchildren, Brian McDowell Elmore, Kevin Rustin Elmore, Peter Rustin Elmore, Robert Watts Elmore, Patrick McDowell Elmore, Austin Colt Elmore, Hudson McDowell Elmore, Matthew Carson Elmore, Reid Telfair Elmore, Emily Alexandra Elmore; and one great-grandchild, Lawson Charles Elmore.

Emily was preceded in death by her brother, John Wallace Rustin (2007); and her sister, Virginia Rustin Elting (2022). Her parents were the Reverend John Wallace Rustin and Jesse Watts Rustin, both prominent forces in the United Methodist Church.

The Church was so influential to Emily's upbringing that she went on to attend Southern Methodist University where she majored in musicâ€"Classical Piano and Voice. She met Stanley on a visit home to Nashville at Belmont United Methodist Church, where her father was a minister. Emily and Stanley were later wed on June 20, 1958, and she soon delivered her four sons before she was 26.

Being a mother of four rowdy boys and the wife of a devoted Orthopedic Surgeon sharpened her patience and tested her faith; however, tending to and nurturing her family was what made her truly happy. She never failed to attend her sons' piano lessons, soccer games, swim meets or tennis matches. And she never left their sides when sick or injured.

Beyond her family obligations, Emily had a passion for volunteering her time to help others. She ran the "Candy Stripers," program for young women who gave assistance to the Nursing Unit at MCV. She gave a decade of her time to the Bethlehem Center in Highland Park, Richmond, where inner-city youth could have an educational safe-haven to spend time in after school. She was an active member of Trinity United Methodist Church for more than 50 years, where she gave her time to education, development and programming.

For herself, Emily enjoyed playing tennis, Bridge with friends and card games with grandchildren. She loved spending time boating and swimming with Stanley and her family at Lake Gaston. She was a skilled pianist and often played her favorite pieces, Dave Brubeck, Chopin, Ramsey Lewis and classic holiday tunes. She was also a member of The Tuckahoe Woman's Club.

Among her many talents, Emily was a wonderful cook and baker. She had a natural ability to gather and entertain others with her effortless wit, stories and song. She was not only a lover of music, but a lover of art. Emily volunteered years of her time at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts where she served as a docent and helped manage the museum gift shop. Over the years, Emily explored her talent as a skilled painter in her home studioâ€"the fruits of her labor hang with pride in the homes of her entire family.

Emily's greatest trait was to always think of others before herself. She lived a lifetime of offering service and love to so many others for a better community. She always demanded kindness, politeness and good manners. She was classically a humanitarian and found the good in all of us. She spent her last days with Stanley by her side.

As Emily chose cremation at end-of-life, a memorial service and celebration of her beautiful life will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church in August, 2022.