December 04, 1995|By Patrick Hickerson | Patrick Hickerson,CONTRIBUTING WRITER
M. Elizabeth MacGill, a retired English teacher and former president of the Humane Society of Carroll County Inc., died Saturday of a stroke at Westminster Nursing and Convalescent Center, where she had lived since March 1994. She was 91.
Miss MacGill taught English at Garrison and Pimlico junior high schools and other Baltimore area schools. She retired in the late 1960s. Before she moved to the nursing home, Miss MacGill lived in a Westminster farm house. Miss MacGill had blue eyes and a passion for that color.
"Bedspreads, housecoats, dresses, pendants, a birdbath outside. She had blue flowers in her yard. Anything that she could find, and she'd like, she would normally purchase in that color," said Carolyn "Nicky" Ratliff, a lawyer for Miss MacGill and a friend.
Lucille Mullineaux of Finksburg, who taught at Pimlico Junior High with Miss MacGill, was also a longtime friend. She recalled Miss MacGill's love of dogs.
"She loved dogs. She had a dog club after school," Miss Mullineaux said.
Miss MacGill raised and exhibited Samoyed dogs -- some with blue eyes. She also had German shepherds and a cat.
Miss Mullineaux remembered visiting Miss MacGill at her Westminster residence after one of her Samoyeds delivered "four of five little pups, little white fur balls. They were adorable. They came first. Her animals came first."
Miss MacGill was president of the Humane Society of Carroll County during the 1970s and was past president of the Carroll Kennel Club.
"She was very fond of animals and very fond of teaching children. She was interested in people -- even more interested in their pets," said Ms. Ratliff.
"It struck me as unusual that she could support herself all the way to 91 and still had money in the bank," she said. "We'd all be lucky if we could do that."
Miss MacGill wrote "Carroll's Canines," a long-running animal column that was published in the Carroll County Times and covered future events and issues in animal welfare.
Miss MacGill was born in Baltimore and educated in Baltimore public schools. She graduated from Towson Normal School in 1928.
She is survived by two cousins, George L. Horn of Baltimore and Alan MacGill of Timonium.
Services will be held 10 a.m. tomorrow at Eckhardt Funeral Chapel, 11605 Reisterstown Road in Owings Mills.
Miss MacGill requested that contributions be made to the Humane Society of Carroll County, 2517 Littlestown Pike, Westminster 21158.
