Flora Campbell McLain

Flora Campbell McLain, 97, died on October 22, 2018 shortly after being with her family for her granddaughter’s wedding in Charlotte, NC. Flora was born in Spring Hill, TN on the Cleburne Jersey dairy farm to Christine A. Campbell and George W. Campbell. She enjoyed a wonderful childhood growing up on the farm, and it instilled in her a love of land and a sense of resourcefulness.

Flora attended Agnes Scott College where she graduated in 1943 with degrees in mathematics and physics. After college she worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority during WWII mapping southern France and parts of Japan from aerial photographs.

In 1946 she married her college sweetheart, Warren C. McLain, Jr. and moved to Kingsport, TN where they raised four children. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Her grandchildren and great grandchildren brought her great happiness.

She was a devoted member of her community and church. As a member of First Presbyterian Church for 72 years, she performed numerous roles, including serving as President of Women of the Church, an elder, a circle leader, and a Sunday school teacher. She was later made an Honorary Life Member. She was instrumental in starting Kingsport Community Ministry Center (KCMC) and served as a regular volunteer there. Beyond church, she lived out her faith by caring deeply for those less fortunate and treating all people as equals. She regularly gave of her time and energy to help those around her better their lives and find meaningful work. She also worked to improve the arts in her community by bringing quality music to the area through her work with Community Concerts.

As an avid supporter of Agnes Scott College, she successfully served as class fundraising chair for many years while also recruiting young women to attend the college. She was loyal in attending class reunions and maintained lifelong connections with her classmates.

Flora was a deeply thoughtful and caring friend, a wonderful cook, and a gracious hostess,
always welcoming people to her table with a good southern meal. She loved to garden and was most often found working outdoors. She was creative, generous, intuitive and wrote beautiful letters which became keepsakes for the recipients.

Surviving are her daughters, Christy Coburn (John), and Joyce Poe, sons, John McLain and Richard McLain (Lonni), grandchildren Michael (Deb), Robert (Sabrina) and Ben Coburn, Amy Poe (Nick), Will Poe (Lillian), Mary and Emily McLain, and four great grandchildren, Luca and Luna Coburn, Elliott and Maddie Poe.

The memorial service will be private. The family will receive friends in the narthex of First
Presbyterian Church on Sunday, October 3 at 2:00PM.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to First Presbyterian Church in Kingsport or to Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia.