Elaine Merillat Noe

Elaine Kay Noe, 76, of Decatur, passed away on Thursday, Feb. 13, at Emory University Hospital, holding the hand of her husband of 54 years, Bryan Noe.

Elaine was born in Wauseon, Ohio, the daughter of Elden and Sylvia Merillat. She was raised on her family’s farm and brought up in a local Mennonite Church, where her father was also one of the ministers. She attended Goshen College in Indiana, where she and Bryan both sang in the school’s traveling choir. The Goshen College motto, “Culture for Service,” was a philosophy she took to heart in a life filled with volunteer service across in the many communities where she and her family lived and in churches she attended over the next 50 plus years.

Professionally, Elaine spent 25 years as a public elementary school teacher, first in West Virginia and Minnesota, where the couple lived while Bryan attended graduate school, and then 18 years with DeKalb County Public Schools while Bryan was on the faculty at Emory University. She also spent 12 years as a sales representative and sales director with the educational toy company Discovery Toys.

Elaine devoted her personal time to her family and to volunteer work. She served as the director of the day care program at Central Congregational Church in Atlanta and also volunteered in the church’s sponsorship program for immigrant families in need. She was later a Stephen Minister at Oak Grove United Methodist Church in Decatur and worked as an adult literacy reading teacher during the time they lived in Birmingham. She volunteered at the Toco Hills Community Food Bank in Atlanta as well as Ten Thousand Villages, a non-profit that benefits disadvantaged artisans from around the world. She served terms as the president of the Emory University Women’s Club, and later as president of the University of Alabama at
Birmingham Faculty Women’s Group. She also served for several years on the Board of the Children’s School of Science in Woods Hole, Mass.

Elaine loved playing tennis and bridge, and was an active member of book clubs in multiple communities. Throughout her life, singing remained a passion that she and Bryan shared, spending their adult years as members of church choirs in both Atlanta and Birmingham. She was known by friends for her generosity of time and spirit, as well as her easy laugh and sympathetic ear.

She is survived by her husband Bryan Noe of Decatur; four children: daughter and son-in-law Jennifer and Rob Mizelle of Verona, Wisconsin, son and daughter-in-law Eric Noe and Michelle Noe of Rowayton, Conn., son and daughter-in-law Jeffrey Noe and Meghan Noe of Atlanta, and son and daughter-in-law Hong and Cissy Chin of Atlanta; and six grandchildren: Olivia Mizelle, Henry Mizelle, Rose Noe, Samuel Noe, Mackenzie Noe, and Bailey Noe.

A memorial service and reception will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21, at Oak Grove United Methodist Church in Decatur.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to one of the two following organizations:

Happy to Help Cambodia
http://www.h2hcambodia.com/
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme2/HappytoHelpCambodia

The Children’s School of Science
Donations can be made by mail in care of the Elaine Noe Scholarship fund:
P.O. Box 522
Woods Hole, MA 02543
https://childrensschoolofscience.org