Obituary of Elisabeth Stafford Whyte

Betty Whyte Harriet Elisabeth Stafford Whyte Elisabeth Stafford Whyte, 82, of the Cedars at Meadowmont, died on January 3, 2012, after a long illness. Mrs. Whyte was born July 19, 1929 in Columbia, Missouri, to Virginia Reid and Elliott Morrison Stafford. She spent her childhood in Sedalia, Missouri and graduated high school in 1947 from Dana Hall in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Mrs. Whyte attended the University of Missouri, receiving a Bachelor of Journalism degree in 1951. Mrs. Whyte was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Mrs. Whyte was employed as public relations director for the Nelly Don Dress Company in Kansas City until her marriage in 1953 to Laurence Manning Whyte of Kansas City. When Mr. Whyte was employed by AT&T in New York City, the Whytes moved to Rye, New York, where they lived from 1957-60, and from 1966-1976. During that time,Mrs. Whyte was a member of the Rye Women's Club and of the Rye Twigs Association. During the years 1960-1966, the Whytes lived in Kansas City, Missouri, where Mrs. Whyte was a docent at the Nelson Gallery. In 1976, the Whytes moved to Ridgefield, Connecticut, where Mrs. Whyte was active in the Ridgefield Library Association. In 1985 the Whytes moved to Fearrington Village, Pittsboro. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Whyte moved to the Cedars at Meadowmont, where she has resided for the past seven years. Mrs. Whyte was an avid traveller, and took many trips with her husband over the years. She had a lifelong interest in learning, attending seminars at Christ Church at Oxford, as well as many local seminars and lectures. Mrs. Whyte was as well a long-time bridge player who often played in regional tournaments. Mrs. Whyte is survived by her daughter Laura Whyte of Chapel Hill, and daughter Virginia Whyte and son-in-law Salikh Ganin of Cary. Memorial services will be held in the ground floor ballroom of the clubhouse at Cedars at Meadowmont, at 2:00 PM, Sunday January 15. Memorial donations can be made to: Planned Parenthood of Central NC PO Box 3258 Chapel Hill, NC 27515 and: The Adventures in Learning Program UNC Program in the Humanities & Human Values Campus Box 3425 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3425