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Columbus— Elizabeth (Libby) Boone, 77, passed away on March 5th, 2024, in Forest City, North Carolina.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Susan and Peter Boone, brother-in-law, Kenneth Yeager, and grandnephew Sam Yeager.

Libby is survived by her sisters, Priscilla (Boone) Yeager, and Nancy (Boone) Gildersleeve; nieces, Sarah (Yeager) Prouty, and Susan Gildersleeve; nephews, Timothy Yeager, Peter Yeager, and David Gildersleeve; seven grandnieces and nephews; and many, many friends.

Elizabeth was born to Peter and Susan Boone on April 5th, 1946. She grew up in Emporium Butler, Pennsylvania, and Saginaw, Michigan. She graduated from Miami University (Ohio), where she earned a degree in English. She went on to earn a master’s degree from the University of Maryland. Libby settled in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where she spent a career in education, initially teaching middle and high school English, and subsequently holding administrative roles as assistant principal of Walt Whitman High School and principal of Sherwood High School. Later, Libby worked as a consultant for the Gates Foundation, undertaking independent evaluations of the best practices at the most successful high schools around the country and publishing the results. In addition, Libby served as an advisor to the superintendent of the District of Columbia Public Schools.

In retirement, Libby settled in Columbus, North Carolina. She sought out volunteer opportunities, serving as a courier for the National Marrow Donor Program (also NMDP) during which she traveled almost a million miles in the United States, Europe, and Australia. She delivered for Meals on Wheels and worked in a nonprofit thrift shop. As a member of The Congregational Church in Tryon, North Carolina, Libby was Chair of the Board of Trustees and sang in the choir.

Libby was an enthusiastic traveler and set foot on all 7 continents. Her travels included visiting the pyramids in Giza, several trips to India and China, and a visit to the polar bears in Antarctica. She extended her love of traveling to her five nephews and nieces by taking each on a trip of their choice on their 16th birthday. Libby was also a lover of nature and animals and an avid gardener, ultimately becoming a Master Gardener in North Carolina. She was never without pets, owning several cats and dogs throughout her life. Libby was an extraordinarily generous person, opening her home to nieces and nephews as they settled into their adult lives, as well as to students from China working on furthering their education in the United States. Libby was also a generous and frequent donor to the National Zoo (Washington, D.C.), National Public Radio, Public Broadcasting Service, and other organizations.

A memorial service celebrating Libby’s life will be held at the Tryon Congregational Church, 210 Melrose Avenue, Tryon, North Carolina on May 25, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. Interment will be in the Congregational Church Memorial Garden.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Lanier Library or the Foothills Humane Society.

An online guest register is available at mcfarlandfuneralchapel.com

 McFarland Funeral Chapel & Crematory
Tryon, NC