Elizabeth "Liz" McGraw Severence

Born in Wheeling, West Virginia on January 19, 1936, Liz moved to Atlanta in 1966. She was the only child of Mabel Hahne McGraw, musician and writer, and Harry McGraw, U.S. Naval Captain, both of Follansbee, West Virginia. She was preceded in death by her husband, John (Jack) Waldon Severence.

She grew up in Charleston, SC where she attended Ashley Hall School, graduating in 1953. She spent one year at St. Agnes Episcopal School in Alexandria, Virginia and two years at Randolph Macon College in Lynchburg, VA. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1957 where she was a member of Chi Omega sorority.

After graduation, she went to New York City and began her thirty-year career in advertising as an accessories copywriter for Saks Fifth Avenue. During her eight years in New York, she was also a copywriter at J. Walter Thompson and West Weir & Bartel. After moving to Atlanta, she was a writer/producer for several years at Tucker Wayne & Company, and later a freelance writer for dozens of agencies all over the city. During her last nine years in the advertising business, she and a partner, Lou Masciovecchio, opened a small creative agency called Hendershot & Company. Their client base included two national companies and a variety of local companies. She retired in 2001. In 2005 she received Ashley Hall’s Crandall Close Bowles Award for Professional Achievement.

Liz took tremendous delight in her family, friends and dogs. She was a member of The Cathedral of St. Philip and served with their Flower Guild. She served on the board of the Study Hall in Atlanta and was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Along with her dogs, she spent 10 years as a member of Happy Tails Pet-Assisted Therapy.

A Celebration of Life memorial service will be held at The Cathedral of St. Philip, 2744 Peachtree Rd, Atlanta on Tuesday July 30 at 10:00 a.m., followed by a brief graveside service at Arlington Memorial Park, 201 Mount Vernon Hwy NW, Sandy Springs, GA.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Atlanta Humane Society, P.O. Box 746181, Atlanta, GA 30374-6181 or atlantahumane.org/donate.