CLEVELAND (Knowles), Lillian
Lillian Alice Cleveland passed away in the evening of Friday, December 22, 2023, one day after her 82nd birthday, enveloped by the love and comfort of close family. A native of Jackson, Tennessee, Alice adopted the city of Atlanta as her home in adulthood, where she grew deep roots by forging an inestimable number of friendships, pursuing diverse hobbies, providing volunteer and service work, and growing a career. She expressed ceaseless zeal as a dedicated wife, mother, and grandmother. Alice's world is one of expansive love, beauty, joy, trust and faith, and she shared it with anyIone fortunate enough to allow her to do so.
Her interests and involvements included: The Druid Hills Tour of Homes, The Open Door Community Soup Kitchen, The Night Shelter for Homeless Men, Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, Fernbank Elementary (where she also served as a substitute teacher), and Druid Hills High Schools. She was an avid tennis player who enjoyed decades of games and tournaments through ALTA with her many friends at the Druid Hills Golf Club. She thoroughly relished antiquing and sharing the stories of her 'sundry' of eclectic furnishings and decor which adorned the historical house she renovated with her husband and brother-in-law. Her infectious love of animals continues to manifest itself in the form of generations of family pets which enjoy travel rights and unrestricted access to furniture. Possessed with a surprisingly strong entrepreneurial drive, she obtained a degree in business from Georgia State University and became involved an investment group, and eventually obtained her Series 7 licensure for securities exchange. One of her greatest joys in life was helping people find homes for themselves and their families, and she pursued this through 20 years of service as an associate broker at Karafotias Real Estate Company in Decatur. A lifelong Christian who daily emoted the virtues of humility and charity, she was a steadfast member of Emory Presbyterian Church, where among other roles she served as an elder, a host to foreign exchange students, and a regular helper of its aging members and for refugee families in the Atlanta area.
Alice was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph Walter and Lillian Lannom Knowles. She is survived by beloved husband, Clifford Donald Cleveland of 58 years; daughter, Lillian Claire Ratcliff (Robert) of Alexandria, Louisiana; son, Clifford Wyatt Cleveland (Emily) of Mount Juliet, Tennessee; sisters, Jane McCollough of Jacksonville, Florida and Marian Albright of Humboldt, Tennessee; along with seven grandchildren; and numerous cousins, nephews, and nieces.
A visitation will be held at AS Tuner and Sons Funeral Home in Decatur, Georgia on Saturday, January 6 from 3 to 5 PM, where we will honor her memory by sharing stories and anecdotes about her life and personality. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Calvin Center Equestrian Program in her name.
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