Ramona Culp Till

Ramona (“Mona”) Culp Till passed away March 23, 2018, surrounded by her loving family. She would have been 89 on April 12th. She was the beloved wife of Dr. Walter Harmon Till, a respected Prattville physician who died September 11, 1974. She was the adored mother of Walter H. Till Jr. of Birmingham, AL, Kimberly Till of New York, NY, Malissa Till Anderson of Chelsea, AL, and Robert Raymond (“Bob”) Till who passed away on July 3, 1995. Mona was the proud grandmother of seven: Walter, Jonathan, and Tyler Till; Cody, John Robert, her namesake Rachel Ramona, and Gabriella Anderson. She was also happy to be the great grandmother of four: Luke, Sawyer, Kate, and Cooper Till. Mona was born on April 12, 1929 in Birmingham, AL. She primarily grew up in Sylacauga, AL where she graduated from high school. She attended St. Vincent’s Hospital School of Nursing in Birmingham where she earned an R.N. degree, and later pursued further nursing studies at Louisiana State University in New Orleans. There she met and later married Dr. Till who earned his M.D. at Tulane University. They enjoyed a loving and fun early marriage in New Orleans and Miami then moved to Prattville, AL. Dr. Till began his practice of medicine and held an investment in the hospital, clinic, and a research facility. The couple then spent brief stints in Maryland and Maine when Dr. Till was drafted into U.S. military service. Afterwards, they returned to Prattville to make it their permanent home and raise a happy family. Mona had an artistic and creative spirit, and dreamed of being an architect. To that end, she demonstrated considerable skill in designing and overseeing the building of the Tills’ contemporary family home which has been the gathering place of the extended Till family and their friends for decades. Walter’s and Mona’s lives flourished as they raised four children, actively pursued careers, engaged in community service, traveled to the lake, beach and beyond, and built meaningful lifelong friendships. A longtime leader in civic activities, Mona served as a founding board member of the Prattville YMCA and as a board member and troop leader of the Girl Scouts. She volunteered for the American Red Cross, the Autauga County chapter of the American Cancer Society, and the state mental health association. Mona was also a key contributor to the Medical Auxiliary and the Prattville Garden and Study Clubs. She was active and committed as a longtime member of the First United Methodist Church where she served as worship chairman. More recently she helped emphasize the importance of adult literacy as a volunteer for the local Laubach reading program. After Dr. Till’s passing, Mona enjoyed over 30 years in the travel business, beginning as a travel agent at the First Alabama Travel Agency which was part of the First Alabama Bank of Montgomery. She was later promoted to manager of the agency and became a bank officer. After the bank sold the travel agency, Mona served as a travel agent/consultant at several other regional agencies, dispatching her many happy clients on magnificent journeys to locales near and far. Mona herself was an extraordinarily accomplished and passionate international traveler, ultimately and proudly visiting more than 100 countries ranging from Ethiopia and Nambia in Africa, to Syria and Jordan in the Middle East, to Pakistan, Mongolia and Cambodia in Asia, to Chile, Argentina and Brazil in South America. As a personal legacy, Mona both encouraged and inspired her children and grandchildren to explore the world with which she had fallen in love. Most importantly, Mona Till lived with great courage and conviction. She lived life to the fullest, had an intellectual curiosity that was both overflowing and inspiring, and showed interest, empathy, and kindness to everyone she met. Mona will forever hold the honorable title of Till family matriarch. Her generous heart and kind and loving spirit will forever be remembered and missed by all who knew her, especially her family. Her legacy will endure and she will continue to be a personal inspiration for each member of her large, happy family, she loved. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Monday, April 2 at 3 pm at The First United Methodist Church of Prattville followed by a reception at the family’s home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Southern Poverty Law Center, Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières), the Prattville YMCA, and The First United Methodist Church of Prattville.

Ramona Culp Till

April 12, 1929 - March 23, 2018