Lucretia Elaine Jeffcoat

Stories are the very stuff of life, and Elaine’s life is very much a story.

Born Lucretia Elaine to Mary Lou (Mary Lucretia Pou) and Lewie (Bruce Lewie, Sr.) Merchant of Columbia, SC, Elaine spent her youngest years in nearby Saluda County, SC learning how to make biscuits and corn husk dolls from her grandmothers. When her father returned from war and the family relocated again to Columbia, the arrival of her brother Bruce (Bruce Lewie, Jr., wife Carol) as well as many more cousins on both sides created for Elaine the perfect opportunity to practice the art of caring as she played with, taught, and occasionally tied up her younger family members.

Elaine herself flourished in transforming care for family to learning to be a nurse, earning her RN at the Greenville General Hospital School of Nursing and graduating with knowledge both of wound care and of the mysteries of folding fitted sheets. In the midst of all of this Elaine also began dating her childhood church- and school-mate Bob (Alex Robert Jeffcoat), entering what would become more than 60 long and wonderful years of calling him “dearest husband” on January 23, 1965. Following Bob to Bloomington, IN, Elaine simultaneously encountered cultures where dinner is not the midday meal and began her work in student health at Indiana University, ultimately serving as its Assistant Director of Nursing. While there, Elaine combined a love of nursing with an uncanny ability to both listen to and cut to the chase of college student drama.

Elaine and Bob moved to Durham, NC where Elaine took on the role of Mama to Karen (husband, Chad Hudson) and of ER nurse at Rex Hospital. Eventually realizing her desire to serve community health needs outside of a hospital setting, Elaine entered NC State's School of Agriculture (where thankfully the requirement to repeat chemistry was waived and a young marriage saved) and from there transferred to UNC’s School of Nursing. Her BS in Nursing (1977) allowed Elaine one of the greatest joys of her working career, that of providing public health care to residents of Durham County. In this capacity Elaine served as school nurse (her only record misstep being ignoring her own daughter’s injured elbow thinking it was an attention getting prank!), jail nurse, and visiting nurse across southern Durham. Beloved by her patients, Elaine ministered to the whole person - listening, teaching, and providing care in ways that enabled patients to live more fully and independently. After 30+ years in public and then home health, Elaine retired from professional nursing in 2008.

Beyond nursing Elaine loved church life, and the opportunities found there to care for people. In every church where she and Bob attended, Elaine volunteered to cook. Whether it be to comfort the sick, feed the youth, or celebrate the accomplished, Elaine served both food and care. She also served up quality conversation, and she loved reading and attending lectures to learn more about her Christian faith and heritage. An avid believer in the separation of church and state as a means to protect religious freedom for all, Elaine nevertheless held her faith close in carrying out all of her civic duties. She lived by the principle of doing what is right regardless of reward, and she expected others to follow suit.

Her mix of gentleness, strength, faithfulness, generosity and stubbornness lives on in her three beloved grandsons, Jesse (fiancée Emma Doody), Colin, and Zeke who regularly found delight in spending time with “Ahma and Papa.” It seems as though Ahma’s breakfasts had evolved from cheese toast when Karen was little, to include, among other things, cookies and cake. Bedtime stories full of family lore planted seeds for brotherly mischief; pleas from Karen to find more sanctified tales were only met with twinkling eyes and more cookies.

After a devastating stroke in September 2019, Elaine struggled to understand her God, but never gave up her faith. Unable to cook, she turned her servant’s heart to listening and encouraging others even when she was often in need of such services herself. As the accumulated effects of the stroke ultimately caused her body and mind to fail, her statement to all remained, “We are going to be okay.” Survived by her husband, daughter, son-in-law, grandsons, brother, sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews and friends, Elaine’s spirit of service will continue to thrive.

Services celebrating Elaine will start by honoring her story with lunch hosted at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Chapel Hill, NC and open to all on April 5, 2025, at 12 noon. Lunch will be followed by a worship celebration at 1pm. Flowers are something Elaine loved, and you are welcome to bring a single flower to add to a community bouquet. In lieu of larger flower arrangements, consider sending someone you love a flower bouquet and telling them why their story is precious to you. Making a donation in memory of Elaine to your local food bank, church, or disaster relief fund would also honor her life.