Elaine Murray Reubush

Elaine Murray Reubush of Toano passed away May 17 after a courageous eleven-year struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Elaine was the cherished wife of David Reubush, mother of Sarah Porter, and stepmother of Kimberly Reubush and Chandler Reubush.

Elaine was born in Roanoke, Virginia on November 1, 1947, the daughter of Max Murray and Dorothy Garst Murray. She is survived by her sister, Anne Reid of Roanoke, brothers Andy Murray of Huntingdon, PA and Steve Murray of Roanoke, as well as grandchildren Jack Porter, Cricket Reubush, and Quill Reubush, plus numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Elaine grew up on the family farm in Roanoke and enjoyed riding horses, hiking, and any other outdoor activities. She earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Bridgewater College and a master’s degree in audiology from the University of Virginia. She later earned a bachelor’s in teaching from Christopher Newport University. She served in the Peace Corp in Central America after college. She moved to Yorktown in 1986 and has lived in the Tidewater area ever since. David and Elaine met at a beginning of the year parent-teacher conference when she was Chandler’s sixth grade teacher at Yorktown Elementary School and were married in 1990. She later taught eighth grade social studies at York Intermediate School and then found the love of her teaching life at Grafton Middle School: World Geography, which she taught until retirement in 2002.

Elaine and David both had a love of travel and spent many school breaks before retirement traveling. After retirement, travel became a major pursuit. One of Elaine’s travel goals was to visit all seven continents, which they did. They visited many countries in Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia. They visited Antarctica three times and Africa 12 times. In addition to a busy travel schedule, Elaine was an accomplished scuba diver with over 600 dives, and she sang for many years with the Virginia Choral Society and the Williamsburg Choral Guild. Elaine was also an active member of the Williamsburg United Methodist Church.

A Memorial Service will be held on Monday, June 15, 2026 at 11:00 AM at Williamsburg United Methodist Church, 500 Jamestown Rd., Williamsburg, VA 23185.

The family would like to thank the management and staff of Spring Arbor Senior Living for taking good care of Elaine over the last several years. Elaine’s family would appreciate contributions in her name to the Alzheimer’s Association. http://act.alz.org/goto/ElaineReubush