Rae Eloise Scott Glidewell

Rae Eloise Scott Glidewell, 80, formerly of Blytheville, passed away April 5, 2021, in Tyler, TX.

Rae was born Sept. 14, 1940, in Blytheville, to F.E. (Scotty) and Charlene Scott. Rae was a graduate of the University of Memphis where she received a Bachelor of Science in Education. She resided in Blytheville for most of her life and remained active in the community until retiring to Tyler, Texas, in 2016. Rae was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Blytheville and later joined Marvin United Methodist Church in Tyler. During her tenure as director of The Ritz Civic Center, Rae played a major role in increasing community awareness of the arts and was considered an expert in the arts for rural areas. She spearheaded the organization of the Mississippi Arts Council and was selected to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives Interior Committee regarding funding for the arts in rural America. Rae served as president of the Arkansas Arts Administrators Roundtable and was a member of the Arkansas Arts Council. She was a member of the Blytheville Rotary Club where she was a 1996 Paul Harris Fellow; was chairwoman and board member of Mississippi County Black Cultural Association; was a volunteer with Main Street Blytheville, United Way, Red Cross, and St. Jude Hospital. Additionally, Rae was a member of the Blytheville Junior Auxiliary, and P.E.O. Chapter D (Arkansas) and Chapter I.E. (Texas).

In addition to her parents, Rae was preceded in death by her sister, Patricia Cobb Cunningham.

Rae is survived by her husband, Carol Allen Glidewell, of Tyler, Texas; two children, Susan Ponder of Tyler, Texas, and Scott Glidewell and wife, Lisa, of Little Rock; five grandchildren, Charlene Ashford, Jon Ponder, Jack Glidewell, James Glidewell, and Ben Glidewell; three great-grandchildren, Olivia Ashford, Luke Ashford, and Gracelyn Ponder; and beloved nieces, Ellen Lipsmeyer, Beverly Smith, Cathie Sexton, and Amanda Driskell.

Rae’s family recently celebrated her life during a private service at Marvin UMC in Tyler. The family requests memorials be made to: Blytheville First United Methodist Church, 701 W. Main Street. Blytheville, AR 72315; or The Eternal Flame Fund of Marvin United Methodist Church, 300 W. Ervin Street, Tyler, TX 75701.