Obituary of Edith Powell Whitfield

Edith Powell Whitfield  October 6, 1925~June 3, 2018. Edith is survived by her daughter, Lorna Powell, two sons, Brent and Craig Powell and a step-daughter, Sherry Whitfield. She had five grandchildren: Danielle, MacKenzie, Zachary, Lauren and Jaimee. Edith also had seven great-grandchildren. Edith has two surviving siblings: Douglas Ackley and Loveda Ackley Petrie. Edith was a widow; her husbands, F. Deane Powell and James D. Whitfiled preceded her in death. Her brother Dick Ackley preceded her in death. Edith was know as 'Edie' to those who loved her. She was born in Tucson at the historic "Stork's Nest", a model progessive maternity home. Her father, Walter Ackley, was a Tucson optician. His 400 acre homestead, where Edith grew up, was named "Eye del Wild Ranch" and was located at the west end of the Catalina mountains in what is now Oro valley. Edie enjoyed painting and her work always reflected her love of the desert southwest. Edith graduate from Amphitheater High School in 1943 and went on to graduate in 1948 from the University of Arizona, with a Bachelor of Science degree. Edith taught kindergarten at Catalina School up until she married Forest Deane Powell and had her first child in 1951. Edie's love of people and her generosity were well known. For many decades, she was active in the Order of the Eastern Star and served four times as Worthy Matron in Arizona, in Glendale Chapter, Silver Star Chapter in Benson and in Horizon Chapter in Tucson, which she also helped to institute. Edith was honored a number of times for her service to Eastern Star, including appointments to the office of Grand Chaplain for the state of Arizona and as a Grand Representative of Arizona, in Ontario, Canada. She was also the Worthy Commander in the Masonic affiliated Order of the True Kindred, in Tucson. Edith's Celebration of Life service is at Bring's Broadway Chapel, Tucson, AZ on Monday, June 11, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. Interment is at Resthaven Cemetery in Glendale, AZ on Tuesday, June 12, 2018 at 11:00 a.m.