Eva’s Obituary Mrs. Eva Lucille (Gillis) Monroe, 90, of Ormond Beach, FL passed away February 14, 2019 in Titusville, FL. Eva was surrounded by family and loving caregivers of the Southern Living Assisted Living Facility where she had been a resident for two years. Eva was born on October 17, 1928 in Salem, New York, to the late Marguerite Gillis and Wilbur Gillis.
She graduated from Washington Academy, Salem NY in 1945 and received a Certificate in Creative Arts in 1975 from the School of Continuing Education at the Daytona Beach Community after which she began teaching arts and crafts classes in the community. Eva worked for the Bell Telephone Company in Glens Falls New York as an operator where she met her best friend and husband of 56 years, Mark W. Monroe who passed away in 2008. Eva is survived by her son, Peter M. Monroe, Marble Falls, TX; daughter Mary Lou Brandstetter, Ocean Springs, MS, daughter Dawn P. McKenzie and her husband Walter M. (Buddy) McKenzie of Titusville, FL, granddaughter, Melissa A. Banks, her husband Bobby Banks Jr. of Savannah and their son, great grandson Colin P. Banks.
Eva was co-owner of Mark Monroe Auto Sales in Glens Falls, NY from 1960 to 1973. In 1973 she relocated to Ormond Beach with her husband and fulfilled their lifelong dream of living in Florida. Eva was gifted in the arts and crafts field.
She earned a Certificate in Creative Arts in 1975 from the School of Continuing Education at the Daytona Beach Community College. In 1978 she was featured in the Ormond Beach Journal and likened to “Grandma Moses” in her ability to create a modern version of “paper tole” artwork that began in the 17th century as a less expensive version of sculpture decorations worked in tin. Her work was exhibited in the lobby of the Ormond Beach Library and she taught classes for the Daytona Beach Community College.
She won multiple awards but always felt the greatest reward was the ability to pass the craft on to others. Eva purchased Townway Flower Shop in Ormond Beach in the 1980’s and with the help of her younger brother Clyde Gillis as the designer, went on to gain some notoriety by creating unique floral arrangements for the local universities, civic organizations and the 1986 Miss Teen USA pageant winner, Miss Oklahoma. In April of 1986 Eva received a phone call from the White House Florist Shop placing an order and in the sender’s name the request was to sign the card simply “Ron”.
Shortly after that order came another unexpected order from the Watergate Hotel Florist Shop and then an order from London which had penned across the bottom “Your shop was specifically asked for”. The key to the success of the flower show was the ownership was indeed a “family affair”. Eva served as the treasurer for the Volusia county Florist Association and then became involved in the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) Holly Hill Chapter and ultimately being elected President of the Association and continuing to support the ABWA until retirement.
Eva was a member of the St. James Episcopal Church from 1973. After the death of her husband in 2008 she became more active in the church becoming a member of the Alter Guild, the Ushers, a volunteer for maintenance of the memory garden and a member of a grief counseling group that provided her support after the loss of her husband and allowed her to continue to use her unique talent of being able to comfort others who were going through the process of grief and loss of a loved one. Eva was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Mark W. Monroe, her brothers, Alba Gillis and Clyde Gillis; and the dog that she so loved, Mikey.
The family would like to extend their special thanks to all the loving caregivers of Southern Living Assisted Living Facility in Titusville, FL, and VITAS Hospice for the love and support received by Eva and her family throughout remainder of her life. In lieu of flowers the family would like to request donations be made in Eva’s name to St. James Episcopal Church, Ormond Beach, FL, or VITAS Hospice. Friends and family are welcome to attend the visitation on Thursday, February 21 from 4:00 to 6:00 a.m. at Lohman Funeral Home – Ormond Beach, FL.
Service will be held at St. James Episcopal Church, 44 S. Halifax Avenue, Ormond Beach on Friday, February 22, 2019 at 10:00. Interment will be at a later date.
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