March 8, 1938 – Oct. 20, 2017

 

ATHENS, Ga. — A graveside service for Martha Naomi Roll Leavell, 79, of Athens, Ga., who died peacefully at her residence, Friday, Oct. 20, 2017, will be 2 p.m. today at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Oxford.     

Arrangements are under the direction of Lord & Stephens East in Athens and Waller Funeral Home in Oxford.

Mrs. Leavell was born March 8, 1928, in Natchez, the daughter of Glenn Roll and Ethel Marley Roll.

She was a graduate of Natchez High School. After attending Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, she transferred to Southern Methodist University where she received a bachelor of administration in Latin. After graduation, she took a job with AT&T in New York City, where she met and fell in love with fellow Mississippian, Jerry Leavell. They married in 1964, and lived in Atlanta, Little Rock, Ark., Oxford, England, Williamsburg, Va., and Clinton, before settling their family in Oxford, in 1977.

She enjoyed working at the University of Mississippi’s Department of Archives and Special Collections, where she retired after decades of service. In 2008, after more than 30 years in Oxford, she moved to Athens to be closer to her family.

Naomi loved beautiful things and surrounded herself with flowers, antiques and family treasures. She also kept up lively conversations and especially loved weekly phone calls with old friends and close family.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 41 years, Jerome Fontaine Leavell; one daughter, Naomi Fontaine Leavell; and one sister, Catherine Roll Calvert.

Survivors include one son, Glenn Farley Leavell and wife, Linda, of Athens; two granddaughters, Elise Fontaine Gaines of Boston and Hannah Steadman Leavell of Athens; one grandson, Simon Gregory Leavell of Athens; one cousin, Adele “Tiny” Marley Mize; two nephews, David Calvert and Samuel Calvert; and two nieces, Catherine Calvert Fitzgerald and Suzanne Calvert Scarmack.

Memorial contributions in Naomi’s memory may be made to the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, 2450 S. Milledge Ave., Athens, GA 30605.