Elizabeth Laverne (Mockobee) Mcnair

Elizabeth Laverne (Mockobee) McNair, age 82, passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 21, 2015; she had been a resident of Gahanna, OH since 1969. Elizabeth was born May 20, 1932, in Evansville, IN, the daughter of Owen Mockobee and Sarah Lucille (Morton) Mockobee, and was the youngest of six children In high school Elizabeth was an accomplished musician, playing the French horn. She attended Indiana University for two years before deciding to leave to follow her husband’s career. Married for 17 years to James D. McNair, II, a U.S. Air force pilot, she was recognized as a community leader and world traveler as an officer’s wife. In the late 1950’s, she worked as one of the secretaries for civil rights pioneer Daisy Bates. In her later years, she retired as an employee from the state of Ohio. In her retirement, she was fond of gardening, going to movies and bowling. She was a loving mother and kind friend. Elizabeth leaves to cherish her memory her three children, James McNair, III, of Colchester, CT; Kent McNair (Amy Archer), of Gahanna, OH; and Beth Hardy, of Woolwich Township, NJ; her brother, Thomas Mockobee, of New York City, NY; her daughter-in-law, Renee McNair of Colchester, CT. and four grandchildren, Nolan McNair, Lauryn McNair, Anthony McNair and Tyler Hardy, and other relatives and friends.