Kathleen "Elizabeth" Gifford

Kathleen “Elizabeth” Gifford, 93, of Indian Head, MD passed away February 6, 2020.  Elizabeth was born in Portsmouth, VA in 1927.  She married the late Robert A. Gifford in 1948 and went on to graduate from College of William and Mary in Richmond, VA (now part of VCU) with a B.A. in Fine Arts in 1950.  She retired from the Library of Congress in 1994 after 27 years.  After moving numerous times from various places in Virginia and Maryland, she lived in Indian Head, MD since 1977.  She is a devoted member of the Shiloh United Methodist Church in Bryans Road.

Elizabeth’s only priorities in life were her faith and caring for the four children she was left to raise alone since 1967.  She never compromised her values, only recognized the good in every person, was slow to anger, and rarely raised her voice.  She was an accomplished painter, singer, and actor. As a teen in the midst of WWII in the Norfolk area, she sang for the troops with the USO for 2 years.  She performed in community theater productions at CSM and with the Library of Congress Choral Society for over 20 years.  Her artwork has won awards in numerous venues.

Mother to 4 children:  Gayle Benitez (with Solatiel), (the late) Robert Gifford (with Kathy), Charles Gifford (with Ann), and Kathleen McClure (with Ronald). She is also survived by 8 grandchildren:  Paul, Shawn, Angela, Chandler, Owen, Patrick (wife Megan), Erin, and Regan; 6 great-grandchildren; and 3 nephews:  Edward (and Susan), John (and Deanne), and William (and Fritz) Irwin and their children.

Visitation will be held at Shiloh United Methodist Church, 7305 Indian Head Highway, Bryans Road, MD  20616 on Thursday, February 13, 2020 from 10 AM until time of funeral service at 12 noon.  The repast will follow at Indian Head Moose, 11 Moose Lodge Way, Indian Head, MD 20640.  In lieu of flowers, donations are be welcome to The Humane Society of The United States or the American Cancer Society.

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