Ellen E. Fleming Memorial Fund
Ellen E. Fleming
August 3, 1945 – May 3, 2019
Ellen Fleming was a beloved member of the Frederica Academy family for over two decades, beginning in 1995 when she joined the Frederica Academy Board of Visitors. In 2004, Miss Fleming relocated to her East Beach home on Saint Simons from Atlanta to become Frederica Academy’s eighth Head of School. She served with great passion and distinction until her retirement in 2011, at which time she returned to the Board of Visitors where she continued her support of the school. Miss Fleming graciously agreed to return to Frederica to serve as Interim Head of School in August 2017. Our hearts broke when we unexpectedly lost Miss Fleming in May 2019.
We hold on to so many wonderful memories of Miss Fleming and her passion for Frederica Academy, especially its students, faculty, and families. The Frederica family will forever cherish seeing her at the 2019 May Day ceremony as she crowned the May Queen and accepted a bouquet of flowers from Alastair Campbell ’19 on behalf of the entire student body, a true expression of the admiration and respect Miss Fleming evoked in the lives of those she touched.
To honor her enduring legacy at our school, Frederica Academy has named the long Middle School building Fleming Hall as a companion to Benefield Hall, the accompanying Middle School building named after two of the school’s co-founders, Tiggie and Dewey Benefield. Contributions to the Ellen E. Fleming Middle School Memorial Fund have been used to make important improvements to the Middle School academic buildings, which has significantly enhanced the overall learning and daily life experience for all Middle School students and faculty. Much of Miss Fleming’s educational career was spent as a Middle School administrator. The majority of her career at The Westminster Schools in Atlanta involved working with middle-grade-level students before being appointed to serve as the school’s Acting President. Miss Fleming spoke often about Middle School being the heart of our campus because it connects the school’s youngest and oldest learners.
It is indeed fitting to have such an important building on our campus named in her memory as a reminder of her steadfast commitment to the students and teachers she so dearly loved.