Ella Mae Cashwell Booker

Ella Mae Cashwell Booker passed away on October 20, 2011, at CarePartners Solace in Asheville. A native of Lester, PA, she was the daughter of the late Leon Ray Cashwell and Lydia Kleinhoff Cashwell. Ella grew up in Saxapahaw, NC, where she read every book in the school library. With a passion for learning, she earned her bachelor's degree in English and French at East Carolina University in 1948. She served as co-editor of the college newspaper and was named to the national collegiate Who's Who. She received her master's degree in counseling at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1956, becoming the sixth certified guidance counselor in the sate of North Carolina. While working on The Ladies of Lee at the Playmakers Theater in Chapel Hill, she met her husband, William Norman Booker. Norman authored the play and Ella was the stage manager. They married on August 17, 1957, in Saxapahaw, NC. She taught English, drama, and journalism at Walter M. Williams High School in Burlington. They were charter members of the Burlington Writers Club and the Burlington Playmakers. In 1958 they moved to Greensboro, NC, where they lived until 1975 when they moved to Asheville. An award winning writer of poetry and literary criticism, Ella served as Industrial Editor for Kayser-Roth Corporation, where she cultivated her passion for photography. Her striking photos were sought after by many. She also served as Public Relations Director for the Children's Home Society and was City Playground Director for Maple Avenue School in Burlington. She spent her life helping others. Through her love of children and her belief in the value of education, she touched the lives of thousands of students over her career. With thirty years in the public school system, she received certifications in English, French, economics, guidance, vocational guidance, career guidance and career exploration. As a counselor at Jackson Junior High School, Ella played an active role in facilitating the desegregation of the Greensboro City School System. She also spread awareness of the dangers of drug addiction, counseled at-risk students and worked with students with physical and mental disabilities. Ella started the Drug Abuse Resistence Education (DARE) program in the Buncombe County Schools. Having served as guidance counselor for all the elementary schools in Buncombe County, Ella also counseled students during her tenure at Lucy B. Herring School and the Orthopedic School, where she developed Operation S.M.I.L.E. to help build self-esteem for disabled students. She served as President of both Beta Sigma Phi and Alpha Delta Kappa. In 1986 she received the Terry Sanford Award for Creativity and Innovation in Teaching and Administration for Buncombe County. With a passion for reading, she read voraciously and served as a book reviewer for the Asheville Citizen-Times throughout the 1980s. Ella is survived by her husband of 54 years, William Norman Booker; one son, Raymond Norman Booker and his wife, Tamela Powell Booker, MD, of Franklin, TN; one daughter, Suzanne Renee Booker-Canfield, Ph.D, and her husband, John Charles Canfield, of Winnetka, IL; and two grandsons, William Powell Booker and John Charles Canfield, Jr.; one brother, Edgar Allen Cashwell of Saxapahaw, NC; one sister-in-law, Laurena Booker Japenga of Indian Wells, CA; four nieces, Ellen Marie Cashwell Caldwell, Ph.D, and her husband, Roy, of Canton, NY, Ann Japenga and her partner, Christy Porter, of Palm Springs, CA and DeeDee Johnston of Covina, CA; two nephews, Bill Japenga and his wife Liz of Portland, OR, and Chuck Japenga and his wife Geri of San Dimas, CA; four great nieces and nephews, Grace Chandler Caldwell and Jake, Joe Joe and Sienna Johnston. Funeral services will be held at 2:00pm Monday, October 24, at Bethesda United Methodist Church with the Rev. George Davis officiating. The family will receive friends at the church after the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Music Therapy of CarePartners Hospice or Bethesda United Methodist Church.