'Liza was a light to all who knew her': Funeral services for Eliza Fletcher held at Second Presbyterian

Gina Butkovich, Memphis Commercial Appeal
·3 min read
3
Second Presbyterian Church’s sanctuary, about a block away from where Eliza Fletcher was kidnapped, is open until 3 p.m. today and has pastors rotating for those who want to gather on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. Eliza Fletcher and her husband Richard Fletcher III were married at the church and are still active members of the congregation.
Second Presbyterian Church’s sanctuary, about a block away from where Eliza Fletcher was kidnapped, is open until 3 p.m. today and has pastors rotating for those who want to gather on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. Eliza Fletcher and her husband Richard Fletcher III were married at the church and are still active members of the congregation.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Funeral services for Eliza Fletcher, the mother and teacher whose abduction captured the nation's attention, were held Saturday in Memphis.

Fletcher, known to family and friends as "Liza," was a teacher and mother of two who was reported abducted during an early morning run Friday on the campus of the University of Memphis. She was found dead Monday, less than a mile from where the man charged with abducting her is said to have cleaned an SUV used in the kidnapping.

“Liza was a light to all who knew her. Her contagious smile and laughter could brighten any room,” Fletcher's obituary reads. “Liza was pure of heart and innocent in ways that made her see the very best in everyone she met. “

The massive, four-day search for Fletcher transfixed Memphis and drew national attention. Family members released a statement Tuesday requesting privacy while they grieve.

"Now it’s time to remember and celebrate how special she was and to support those who cared so much for her. We appreciate all the expressions of love and concern we have received," the statement read. "We are grateful beyond measure to local, state and federal law enforcement for their tireless efforts to find Liza and to bring justice to the person responsible for this horrible crime.  We hope that everyone, including media representatives, understand the need for the family to grieve in privacy without outside intrusion during this painful time.”

The funeral was held at Second Presbyterian Church on Poplar Ave. in East Memphis, where Fletcher married her husband, Richard Fletcher III, in 2014. All the parking lots surrounding the church were full Saturday morning, as family and friends lined up to pay their respects.

Funeral services for Eliza Fletcher, the mother and teacher whose abduction captured the nation, were held Saturday in Memphis at Second Presbyterian Church. Fletcher, known to family and friends as "Liza," was a teacher and mother of two who was reported abducted during an early morning run Friday near the University of Memphis. She was found dead Monday, less than a mile from where the man charged with abducting her is said to have cleaned an SUV used in the kidnapping.

"She and her husband Ritchie are both very active and great leaders in our congregation," George Robertson, the senior pastor, told The Commercial Appeal the day Fletcher was abducted. "They have two little boys who have come up to me every week and give me a hug."

Fletcher taught junior kindergarten at St. Mary's Episcopal School in Memphis. Before working at St. Mary's, she taught Kindergarten at Promise Academy in Nashville and coached soccer.

"She knows each student individually and does whatever she can to excite them for learning," St. Mary's posted on Facebook last year. "You will always find her celebrating big and small successes in the classroom."

Following her death, the entire school read “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” by Charlie Mackesy, St. Mary's said in a statement, quoting from the book: “‘We don’t know about tomorrow,’ said the horse, ‘all we need to know is that we love each other'."

She was also a dedicated runner, finishing the St. Jude marathon in Memphis with a time of 3:26:09, a time fast enough time to qualify Fletcher for the Boston Marathon, one of the most elite marathons in the world. Out of all the women running the St. Jude marathon that year, she finished 22nd.

"A born athlete, Liza's passion for sports extended from childhood teams to collegiate competition to excellence in marathons in adulthood," her obituary read. "She found great joy in her morning runs with friends. She channeled her competitive nature into enthusiastic participation in all that she undertook."

On Sept. 9, a week after Fletcher was abducted, hundreds of women lined up in Memphis to "finish her run." Hundreds more across the world ran in her honor.

Runners start the Let's Finish Liza's Run event on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, outside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Central Avenue in Memphis. The eight mile run was held in honor of Eliza Fletcher, a Memphis mother and teacher who was reportedly abducted while running on the University of Memphis campus. “Our goal is to stand up for the women in the Mid-South and emphasize that women should be able to safely run any time of day,” the Facebook event said.

"Just being a runner, and having a share of experiences, nothing super dangerous, but enough that you're vigilant, and when you run when it's convenient and you know you're at risk, it's just something to keep in mind," said Mary Unverferth, one of the Memphis runners, said at the event. "So running is a privilege and running for Liza is also a privilege."

In her obituary, the family requested that memorials be made to the Liza Wellford Fletcher Memorial Fund at St. Mary's Episcopal School, Christ Methodist Day School, and Second Presbyterian Church.

Gina Butkovich covers DeSoto County, storytelling and general news. She can be reached at 901-232-6714  or on Twitter @gigibutko.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Funeral services for Eliza Fletcher held at Second Presbyterian