Elaine Milburn

Mrs. Elaine Dillow Milburn of Signal Mountain, TN passed away peacefully after a long illness on June 26, 2019. 

Elaine was born in Detroit, MI on November 6, 1929.  She was an only child and the family quickly moved back to the South spending some time in Louisiana before settling back in upper East Tennessee on the family farm near Gray Station.  She graduated from Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport, TN.

After high school, she attended college and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1950.  She spent several years as an administrative assistant at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and in various positions in New York City before returning to UT-Knoxville to complete her Master’s of Science in Business Administration.  While studying in Knoxville, she met the love of her life, H Ted Milburn, and they were married on August 23, 1957.

After graduation, she embarked on her career teaching high school, first in Knoxville, and then at various schools around Chattanooga where she and Ted moved after he complete his law degree.  Over many years as a teacher, she focused on administrative arts as well as being the sponsor for various high school newspapers and yearbooks. 

Elaine and her family were long-time residents of Signal Mountain first moving to the Forest Park area (before Walden existed) in the early 1970s and then into Signal Mountain itself which became the family home.  She was an excellent mother to a son, Blair, and daughter, Lisa.  She was an avid bridge player and was always working on needlepoint projects.  For the past 26 years, she, and Ted, were long-time residents of Alexian Village.

She was preceded in death by her husband of almost 59 years, Judge H Ted Milburn and her daughter, Elizabeth (Lisa) Milburn. 

She is survived by her son and his wife, Blair and Susan Milburn.

The family will be holding a private memory service. 

Memorial contributions in lieu of flowers can be sent to Grace Episcopal Church, 20 Belvoir Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37411, where her ashes will be interred.

Please visit www.heritagechattanooga.com to share words of comfort to the family.

Arrangements by Heritage Funeral Home, 7454 E. Brainerd Rd.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.