Lelia Vaughan, age 75, traveled all over the world and made her final journey on Wednesday, November 15, 2023. Lelia was born August 6, 1948, in Shreveport, Louisiana to Thomas Worth Vaughan and Martha Louise Shepherd Vaughan. Lelia is preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Ernest Worth Vaughan and Irene Celeste Matheny Vaughan; her maternal grandparents, Benjamin Hill Shepherd and Lelia Lemoyne Gahagan Shepherd; and many special friends. She is survived by her sisters, Martha Louise Vaughan and Ellen Vaughan Miller; her nephew, Jonathan Wayne Miller; her great nephews, Wayland Vaughan Miller and Raymond Gutierrez; her great niece, Gabrielle Coco Gutierrez; and her great, great nephew, Finley Gutierrez; extended family of Blake Dickinson Gutierrez, Kim Vaughan, Amy Vaughan, numerous cousins, and countless friends.

Lelia was raised in Jonesville, Texas and attended school in Waskom. She received her undergraduate degree from Centenary College in 1970, her Master's of Science degree in park and recreation administration from the University of Wyoming in 1973, and her Ph.D. in recreation in 1980 from the University of Georgia.

She taught recreation, parks, and natural resource management at Mars Hill College in North Carolina and was a water safety instructor trainer at the University of North Carolina in Asheville, North Carolina.

Lelia traveled to continents all over the world and shared her experiences on her Facebook page. She summited Mt. Kilimanjaro in January 2000 with her best friend the late Ginny Hooper. Later, she returned to make her final home in Jonesville, Texas and enjoyed the nature in her backyard. She loved the environment, and she was very concerned about anything that harmed habitats or endangered God's creations.

She will be buried in a private family ceremony in Jonesville. A celebration of her life will be held for family and friends in the future.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in her honor to one of her favorite charities: Defenders of Wildlife, Earth Justice, The Nature Conservancy, Audubon Society, The Caddo Lake Institute, The Natural Resources Defense Council, or the University of Georgia Foundation in memory of Lelia Vaughan.