Elaine C. Mann Carpenter

Elaine Clarice Mann Carpenter passed away at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida on Wednesday, April 27th, 2016. Elaine was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome in December, 2014. Following two stem cell bone marrow transplants, she was courageously battling this disease when multiple lung complications that could not be resolved took her life.

Elaine was born in Tallahassee, Florida on June 5, 1963 to the late Emory Carlyle Mann and Betty G. (Brown) Mann. She is survived by her husband Kevin Richard Carpenter, son CarLyle Mac Carpenter, daughters Scenia Kate Carpenter and ReBecca Jane (Carpenter) Everett, and grandson Ansel Alexander Howard. Elaine was preceded in death by her sister, Bryce Mitchell, Ph.D. of Madison, Wisconsin. Elaine was a life-long resident of Tallahassee, Florida, where she was involved in both her community and her church.

Elaine was employed at the Florida Retail Federation for more than 30 years. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Operations & Board Liaison. Her employer has stated that Elaine played a vital role in the success of the Florida Retail Federation. Elaine just celebrated her 30th year of employment last March, and served the FRF members and the board with unparalleled professionalism and dedication. She proudly served under four different FRF Presidents since 1986. Elaine was a Certified Association Executive, a member of both the Florida Society of Association Executives and the American Society of Association Executives, and a recent Chairman of the Board of the Southern Scholarship Foundation.

Elaine and Kevin were married in Tallahassee on December 7, 2000. They adopted an eight month old boy in Guatemala City, Guatemala in 2007, and named him CarLyle Mac to honor Elaine’s father and Kevin’s father. Lyle was a source of great joy for Elaine.

Elaine’s family invites and encourages you to attend a Celebration of Life to share food, music, photos and stories. This celebration will begin at 1:00 PM on Saturday, May 14th at the Saint Paul's United Methodist Church, 1700 N Meridian Rd, Tallahassee, FL 32303. We hope to see you there to honor Elaine. Unity Eastside’s Rev. Jean De Barbieris Owen will officiate. The family requests that attendees feel free to dress for comfort.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the National Marrow Donor Program at http://www.bethematch.org and/or the Southern Scholarship Foundation at www.southernscholarship.org.