Dr. Isabella Cannon, Elon class of 1924 and one of the university's most distinguished alumni, was remembered as a woman of boundless energy and passion during her funeral on Feb. 16 in Raleigh. Read this note for details of the service…
The funeral, which was held at Raleigh’s Community United Church of Christ, drew many members of the Elon community along with political leaders and people who knew Dr. Cannon through her work as a neighborhood advocate, as former Raleigh mayor, and in her many other roles in life. U.S. Rep. David Price and Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker were seated at the front of the church along with four former mayors and other city and county officials. Two officers from the Raleigh police department stood as ceremonial guards at the church doors, and the City of Raleigh flag covered her coffin as it was brought into the sanctuary.
The Rev. Ann “Cally” Rogers-Witte, conference minister of the Southwest Conference of the United Church of Christ, and an Elon University trustee, officiated at the funeral. “We had come to believe she would live forever,” Rogers-Witte said. “Certainly the incredible and fascinating possibilities of this present life on this good earth fascinated her the most … she joined God in loving this world, in dedicating her life to making this world a better place for every person on earth, from the neighborhoods of Raleigh to the protestors in Tiananmen Square.”
Elon President Leo M. Lambert, who delivered the eulogy, said that Dr. Cannon is remembered as a person who stood for strong principles. He said her life serves as a call for commitment to public service.
“There are simple, everyday acts we can perform that Isabella would have admired as much as a special occasion honoring her: to commit ourselves to service in our own neighborhoods and communities, to recognize that communities are interconnected all around the world, to love our neighbors, to nourish the poor in spirit, to speak up for the downtrodden, to live fully and to live joyfully. This is our charge.”
Those in attendance were asked to stand and share their memories of Dr. Cannon. For about 30 minutes, personal stories were told about her work in Raleigh neighborhoods, her involvement in Democratic party politics, her interest in city government, her love of Elon students, her work in her garden, her pride in her Scottish ancestry, her interest in angels and her commitment to the truth.
Dr. Cannon had planned her own funeral and placed a recording of “It’s a Wonderful World,” by Louis Armstrong on file at the church so it could be played at the service. Other musical selections included Scottish anthems played by a bagpiper and a Scottish rendition of Auld Lang Syne, performed by Bett Padgett, one of Dr. Cannon’s friends and neighbors. Dr. Cannon chose a benediction from the Navajo Song of the Talking God:
With goodness and beauty before me I go;
With goodness and beauty behind me I go;
With goodness and beauty above me I go;
With goodness and beauty below me I go;
With goodness and beauty in all things around me I go;
With goodness and beauty I follow immortality.
Thus being I, I go. Amen
Read Dr. Cannon’s obituary.