Elizabeth Winfrey Walker Reid

Elizabeth Winfrey Walker Reid, 93, passed away peacefully at her home in Brownsville on October 26, 2024. She is survived by her husband Thomas Lyle Reid; her two daughters, Betsy Reid (Bill Gruenewald) and Martha Lyle Ford (Bob Ford); three grandchildren, Walker Thornton (Dannon Thornton), Eliza Ford, and Mattie Ford; one brother, J. G. Walker Jr (Virginia Ann Walker); a large extended family; and many friends, all of whom loved her greatly.

Elizabeth was born on June 19, 1931 to Mattie Sweeny Winfrey Walker and Junius Galloway Walker Sr. at Chestnut Hill in Fayette County, Tennessee. Her lifelong love of nature was inspired by long walks through the woods and across the farm with her father. She attended public school in Fayette County and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where she met her soon-to-be husband, Lyle. Libba (as she was known to family and friends) and Lyle lived in Brownsville throughout their marriage, where they were actively involved in the social and political life of the community. They recently celebrated their seventieth wedding anniversary.

Libba— known to her grandchildren as “Koko”— was a beloved member of the Brownsville-Haywood County community. She believed in the goodness and beauty of each person; she was an encourager of those who needed a little boost and a proponent for justice and equality. She was an advocate for public schools and an ardent supporter of the Haywood High School basketball program. To all, friend and stranger, she was generous, funny, curious, and mischievous. 

Libba loved to travel. She explored the cultures of more than fifty foreign countries, without taking a single photograph. Her great pleasure was to bargain and banter with the local mountain guides, street vendors, and taxi drivers. Her many travels included such adventures as climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, venturing to Everest base camp, riding a camel for eight days across a portion of the Sahara Desert, and unintentionally sliding down an icy glacier. She was deeply curious about the world for the entirety of her life and had a magical way of making each person she met feel special. At home and away, she made the minutia seem fascinating, and the mundane riveting. She was a classic Southern lady and, in her own words to her grandchildren, “tough as nails.” While her worldly departure creates a loss for all of us, her spirit can be felt at the foot of any mountain, the bank of the Hatchie River, and anywhere amongst trees. 

Elizabeth was preceded in death by her parents, Junious Walker, Sr. and Mattie Winfrey Walker; one brother, Dr. Arthur Winfrey Walker and his wife Jo; two sisters, Patsy Walker King and her husband Allen, and Mary Priscilla Walker Locke and her husband Rev. Reeves.

Visitation for Elizabeth will be 5:30-7 on Friday, November 1, and the funeral will be Saturday, November 2 at 3:00. Both will be held at Brownsville First United Methodist Church. Following the funeral, as was her request, the family is hosting a celebration of her life at the Reids’ home, Highway 54 North in Brownsville, Tennessee. It is her wish that memorials be given to the Haywood High School basketball and soccer programs. These contributions can be directed to Tim Seymour at Haywood High School, 1175 East College Street, Brownsville, Tennessee 38012.