Martha Claire Kennedy Fitzner Martha Claire Kennedy Fitzner, a beloved and skillful teacher of young children, died September 9, 2015, at Baptist Memorial Hospital. She was 58 years old. Services will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church on Saturday, September 12, with the Rev. Anne Harris, Deacon Pam Rhea and Deacon Morris Thompson officiating. Memorial Funeral Home was in charge, with burial in Friendship Cemetery. Visitation will from 9:30 until service time in the Earline Roberts Room at St. Paul's. Survivors include her parents, Joseph Harry (Ken) Kennedy Jr. and Nancy Smith Kennedy; her husband, Arthur Richardson Fitzner; her son, Thomas Kennedy Fitzner; and one aunt, Dorothy Smith Langford. Martha Claire was born April 13, 1957, in Harlingen, Texas. She graduated from Heritage Academy here in 1975, from Mississippi State University in 1979 and in 1981 from the University of Mississippi with a master's degree in early-childhood education. She then began 34 years of service to her schools, churches and community. This service included 32 years as a kindergarten, first and third grade teacher, first in Florida, then in Columbus at Warden-Carden, Franklin Academy, Stokes-Beard and finally at Heritage Academy, her home since 1998. She was the school's Teacher of the year in 2015 and participants this year in the Commercial Dispatch "Best of the Triangle" poll chose her as the best teacher in the Golden Triangle. At Heritage, children were seen to dance around her. She worked as elementary representative to the Heritage School Board, a mentor for teaching interns and the high-school social club sponsor. She also chaired committees for the accreditation visits of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and co-chaired the teachers committee for the current Building on Excellence Campaign. At St. Paul's Mrs. Fitzner worked on the vestry (the governing board), the board of St. Paul's Episcopal School and the altar guild. She was president of the Episcopal Church Women in 2004 and served as president of the Daughters of the King. She had directed the children's choir and taught Bible School and Sunday School. In 1983-84 at First United Methodist Church, Mrs. Fitzner was an administrative-board member and young-adult coordinator for the Council of Ministries. At that time she chaired the city's Task Force Against Drugs and Alcohol, working with the Columbus Police Department, Alcoholics Anonymous and affected families. Mrs. Fitzner was queen of the Columbus Junior Auxiliary Ball in 1980, then a Junior Auxiliary life member while also an advisor to the Delta Gamma Fraternity at Mississippi State University. She held membership in the Pioneer Society of Columbus and Lowndes County -"the longtime treasurer and a most gracious hostess," one member said - and in the Bernard Romans Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and took a term as vice president and then president of the Vine and Olive and Town and Country garden clubs. Serving as pallbearers will be Kirk Hardy, Tommy Howard, Toby Lott, Thomas Whitaker, Robert Whitaker, Allen Wyckoff, Nicholas Wyckoff and Smith Wyckoff. Memorials may be made to: St. Paul's Episcopal Church, St. Paul's Episcopal School (both at 318 College St. Columbus, MS 39701) or Columbus-Lowndes Humane Society P.O. Box 85 Columbus, MS 39703
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