| Graduation Year | Class of 1980 |
| Date of Passing | Aug 29, 2005 |
| About | Dr. Elizabeth (Ellie Adams) Craver Pryor, M.D. 6/28/62- 8/29/05 Ellie was my best friend and big sister. She passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2005. I miss my big sister everyday. Ellie graduated Parkland in 1980. She was in Anchor Club, Dixie Debs, Drama Club, Junior Marshal, Monogram Club, National Honor Society, Parkland Players, Senior Board, Student Association President, and French Club Secretary, Co-president. Dr. Elizabeth Craver (Adams) Pryor, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., noted physician, beloved mother, wife, sister, daughter, and friend, passed peacefully into the arms of her Savior surrounded by family and friends at her home in Johnson City, Tenn., Monday afternoon, August 29, 2005. Dr. Pryor, assistant professor of Ob/Gyn at ETSU had battled pancreatic cancer since March 2005. She will be well remembered for her warmth and tenacity, her effusive energy, her abiding love and respect for friends, patients and colleagues, her superior clinical, research and teaching skills, her terrific sense of humor and her easy laugh, her beauty and wit, her grace, charm, and style. Anyone lucky enough to receive her friendship or nurturing care knew they were protected by a strong, smart mama lioness. She enjoyed her family, travel, skiing, tennis, camping, snorkeling and listening to good music including James Taylor, Tracy Chapman, Phil Collins, Phantom and Les Mis. She was funny, smart, hard working, and one of God's finer gifts to the world. She was 43 years old. Dr. Pryor (Ellie) was born to Betty Jean (Craver) Adams and John Adams in Daytona Beach, Fla. She grew up there and in Winston-Salem, N.C. As a young child she decided she wanted to be a doctor who catches babies. That dream became a guiding, driving force which helped her to overcome numerous challenges, including financial and personal hardships which would have broken or prevented lesser mortals. Growing up in a family full of love she graduated valedictorian from Parkland High School in Winston-Salem in 1980. Earning her Phi Beta Kappa key along the way, Ellie completed her B.S. in Zoology at UNC on full academic scholarship in three years, graduating with highest honors. Following a year of post-graduate research she received three scholarships to attend UNC Medical School from which she graduated in 1988. Dr. Pryor completed her residency in Ob/Gyn at U. of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital where she served as chief resident. She began private practice in Miami in 1992 and continued in Eden and Greensboro, N.C. After rekindling a high school flame, she was married in 1994. In 1998 she began a post-doctoral fellowship in maternal/fetal medicine at Wake Forest University, Bowman-Gray School of Medicine. In 2001 Dr. Pryor completed her fellowship and joined the faculty of the ETSU James H. Quillen College of Medicine where in just four short years she rose to national prominence as a professor, researcher and academician of excellence. In her short career she delivered well over 4,000 children. She has done extensive research in the area of fetal Hypoxia, co-authored 15 technical papers and is the soon to be published author of a study on medical education regarding the instruction of repair of 4th degree lacerations. Dr. Pryor was an APGO/Solvay scholar and received many awards for academic and teaching excellence including the Dean's Distinguished Teaching Award in Clinical Sciences, and held membership in Alpha Omega Alpha, the most prestigious medical honor society. She has mentored and inspired numerous young physicians. Her advice to students and colleagues alike was "read the chart, listen to your patient." She was a faithful member of Trinity Moravian Church in Winston-Salem and volunteered countless hours of her time to the Sunnyside Ministry in Winston-Salem and the Keystone Clinic in Johnson City. |
