Monita Mclemore

Dr. Annie-Hoyt “Monita” Prine McLemore, Ph.D,

Dr. Annie-Hoyt “Monita” Prine McLemore, Ph.D. age 94, of Gulf Breeze, FL passed away on January 18, 2022. She was born on June 7, 1927 in Petal, MS.

She received her Bachelor, Masters and her Ph.D. (at age 72), all from the University of Southern Mississippi (USM).  The family has deep history with USM as she met her beloved husband, Harry K. McLemore, when they were attending there.  Harry’s father was the late Dr. Richard Aubry McLemore, who was a dean and interim president at one time.

For most of her life Monita was a music teacher (piano, voice and harp) privately and taught at numerous schools and colleges. She learned to play a concert pedal harp at age 57 and enjoyed performing at many private and public events.  She and her husband, Harry McLemore, built two harps and a harpsicord.  She was an accomplished painter, wrote many songs, published books of poetry, and wrote personal memoirs.  She loved to read.  Monita enjoyed her many friends and her church family.  She was active in numerous garden clubs, poetry societies, and loved to entertain.  She and her husband were adventurous and loved to travel to many countries and loved cruising.  The family lived in many places due to her husband’s work (Industrial Development) and lived on Pensacola Beach in the 80’s where they were involved in the Pensacola Beach Elk’s Lodge and Mardi Gras (Krewe of Wrecks).  She was even the Grand Martial of the beach parade one year.

They moved to and enjoyed living in Ocean Springs until Hurricane Katrina flooded their home.  They decided to move up to Madison, MS, to be closer to her daughter, Risa.  In 2020, she moved back to Gulf Breeze, Florida to be with her son's family and enjoy her final years near the beach that she loved.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Alby and Velma Kinsey Prine; her husband, Harry K. McLemore and her daughter, Risa Lyn McLemore White (Doug). Survivors include her son, Richard Alby McLemore (Vickie) of Gulf Breeze, FL; granddaughters’ Christina White Adams (Clay) of Charleston, SC., Julieanne White Weldy (Thomas) of Burke, VA.; Grandsons’ Deke White of Brandon, MS and Kyle McLemore of Gulf Breeze, FL; step grandsons’ Chris Jones (Shannon) of Austin, TX and Charlie Jones of Pensacola, FL; five great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.