Doris Anne Marley Laird

Doris Anne Marley Laird, a Tallahassee resident since 1958, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of Jan 25, 2025, at 94, in the presence of her beloved son. She was the daughter of Eugene and Colleen Marley of Columbia, SC, born on January 15, 1931, in Charlotte, NC. Her older sister Fay Lee passed as an infant. She graduated from Converse College in Spartanburg, SC at the age of 19 in 1951. In 2001, she received an outstanding Alumna Award from Converse. An avid singer and pianist, she was a member of the South Carolina Opera Company, studied voice at the New England Conservatory of Music, and performed at the Chautauqua Opera Institute. She received a Master’s degree in music from Boston University, followed by a PhD in Humanities from Florida State University. Subsequently, she worked as a professor of Humanities at Florida A&M University until retirement. Over her career, she taught a wide range of topics, but her favorite was ancient Greece. Dedicated to the church her whole life, she was the youngest member of the choir at Washington Street Methodist Church in Columbia, SC, remaining active in choirs, including Tallahassee Trinity United Methodist Church, until she was 80. A lover of travel, her favorite trip abroad was to Greece, her favorite state to visit was North Carolina, but her favorite place to be was Disney World’s It’s a Small World ride, which she visited for the final time in 2015. She also enjoyed her summer visiting Cornell University, and two stays in London while her husband was teaching and on leave there. She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Bill, her three sons Will, of Tallahassee, Andrew, of Atlanta, and Glen, of Boston. She had 4 grandchildren, Marley, Samantha, Daniel, and Leah. A memorial service will be held at Roselawn Cemetery on February 1, 2025, at 3PM. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Big Bend Hospice. She will be remembered and missed for her kind soul, love of family, and fondness for Mozart, the Estero Beach Club at Fort Myers Beach, college football, good coffee, and key lime pie. Dayne Parker of Bevis Funeral Home (850-385-2193 or www.bevisfh.com) is assisting the Laird family with their arrangements.

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Doris Anne Marley Laird

January 15, 1931 - January 25, 2025