Beloved and admired mother, grandmother, sister and friend Elizabeth Machtolff Wise (Beth), of Huntsville passed away suddenly at the age of 73 on Sunday, October 24 after experiencing a heart attack while traveling in France.
To capture Beth Wise in words is like trying to capture a rainbow in a jar. Those who knew her – and maybe more remarkably, so many who didn’t – were touched by her kindness, generosity, capability, dedication and profound love for her family, friends and community. Nowhere was this more evident than in the role she took on later in life as Grandmother to three active, curious, unstoppable boys, who adored their grandmother to the point of arguing over who could possibly love her the MOST.
Beth was born in 1948 in Sheffield, AL to Elizabeth Janet (Joiner) and Francis Neiman (“Mac”) Machtolff. She achieved a B.S. in Mathematics at Auburn where she was president of the Tri Delta Sorority, a M.S. in Computer Science at UAH, and was a graduate of Columbia University’s Senior Executive Program. She had a remarkable career at the U.S. Department of the Army that spanned 37 years, and for which she was awarded the highest Civilian Honor – the Dept. of the Army Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service. Beth also served as the President and CEO of the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra.
Beth’s community involvement was extensive throughout her lifetime, with over 50 years of volunteer service at the community, state and national levels. Her volunteer roles are too extensive to list, but included leadership and board positions at the Alabama Humanities Foundation, the League of American Orchestras, the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra and its Guild, the Huntsville Botanical Garden and its Foundation, the Junior League, the Arts Council, the Randolph School Parents Association, the Volunteer Center, Leadership Huntsville/ Madison County, the National Children’s Advocacy Center, the Twickenham District Garden Club and the Study Circle. Awards for her service to the community included the Grace Award, the Girl Scouts Women of Distinction Award, and the Women in Leadership Award, among others.
Beth is predeceased by her parents, her copilot Jerry Hinton Wise and her nephews Brad Moore and Marshall (“Mo”) Shaver. She is survived by her children, Josh (Alexis Brown) and Kate (John Knecht), her grandchildren William Wise and Rollins (Rollie) and Leo Knecht, her sisters Ann (Ernie) Rivard and Pam (Brent) Shaver, her brothers Mike Machtolff, Alan (Anne) Machtolff and Paul (Theresa) Machtolff, and numerous nieces and nephews and their children, as well as her many devoted friends.
A small graveside service will be held for the family, and a celebration of her life will be held in Huntsville in December, details of which will be announced in this paper. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Foundation, P. O. Box 2400, Huntsville, AL (www.hso.org/donate/planned-giving/) or to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas PL, Memphis, TN 38105 (www.stjude.org).
