Dr. Luther Frary Elrod, III was born to Frary Elrod, Jr. and Doris Elrod on November 12, 1943, in Americus, Georgia. After the birth of his younger brother, John, the family moved to Jackson County, where Luther honed his skills as a budding young scientist, much to his parents’ pride and chagrin. He performed science experiments in his backyard and even built rockets that he loved to launch into the Georgia sky (when they didn’t explode).
He played the piano, as well as clarinet, and graduated salutatorian from Jefferson High School in 1961. He studied chemistry at the University of Georgia, where he also was a member of the Air Force ROTC. After graduation, he attended Case Institute of Technology as a graduate student in chemistry before he was called up to active duty. He then served in the United States Air Force as a Nuclear Research Officer and Chief Chemist with an analytical laboratory at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska.
After his discharge from the military, Luther eventually made his way to Eugene, Oregon, where he met Kathleen Bradley. The couple married in 1981 and moved to his hometown of Jefferson. The following year, Luther became a father when his daughter, Susan, was born and returned to the University of Georgia, where he would obtain his PhD in chemistry.
The family moved northward to Habersham County in 1987, where Dr. Elrod had accepted a teaching position at Piedmont College, and his son, Louis, was born a few months later in 1988. Following 25 years of educating and mentoring generations of chemistry students, Dr. Elrod retired in 2012. Some time afterward, he completed a successful treatment for leukemia and spent the remaining years of his life gardening, cooking, and baking, and focusing on his passion project: reading through the Bible in ancient Greek.
Survivors include his wife Kathleen Bradley Elrod of Mt. Airy, son and daughter-in-law Louis and Kira Weissenborn—Elrod of Atlanta, daughter and son-in-law Susan Elrod and Erik Hofmeister of Auburn, Alabama, brother John Montgomery Elrod (Ulla) of Jacksonville Beach, Florida, niece Barbara Elrod Friedmann (Chris) of Jacksonville, Florida, nephew Thomas Elrod (Katy) of Arlington, VA, and great-nephews John and Ken.
A funeral mass will be held at 1:30 PM on Saturday, February 22, 2025, at St. Mark Catholic Church, with Fr. Jose Raul de Leon officiating. Interment will follow the service in Hillside Gardens Cemetery. The family will receive friends at Hillside Memorial Chapel from 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM on Saturday.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the St. Mark Chapter, Knights of Columbus, 5410 Highway 197 South, Clarkesville, GA 30523, or to the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, 46 Plaza Way, Clayton, GA 30525.
The family wants to acknowledge with gratitude the expert and loving care given by Doctor Heringer locally, and by Doctor Tanna and the medical and infusion team at Northside Cancer Institute in Gainesville. Additionally, the family wants to recognize the outstanding acute care at Northeast Georgia Medical Center, particularly the cardiovascular ICU.
An online guestbook is available and may be viewed at HillsideMemorialChapel.com.
Funeral arrangements are in the care and professional direction of Hillside Memorial Chapel & Gardens, Clarkesville.
