Emma Jean (Scoggins) Tavana, of Allen, Texas, passed away with family by her side on March 2, 2019. She was born February 12, 1941, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to George and Galena (Ratcliff) Scoggins. Emma spent her growing up years in Huntington, West Virginia and Peoria, Illinois. She graduated from Peoria’s Richwoods High School and attended Bradley University before starting her family. When her children went to college she did, too. Emma became an excellent computer programmer and retired from Central Illinois Light Company in 1996. After retirement, she moved to Texas to help raise her grandchildren. Emma loved her cats, McDonalds, reading, theater, music, crossword puzzles and traveling. She was extremely intelligent, sharp witted, and generous. Emma raised good and decent children. She was a brave woman who moved her young family to Iran, traveled on her own to the Soviet Union and Europe. Emma was loved and she will be missed every day.
She is survived by her children, Sharon (Shariq Ahmed), Karen both of Allen, Texas, and John, of Arlington, Virginia; grandchildren she loved dearly, Sarah Tavana, Joe Tavana and Sofia Ahmed; and ex-husband, Danny (D.F.) Tavana of El Paso, Texas.
Emma was preceded in death by her parents, George and Galena Scoggins and her sister, Anita, with whom she is now reunited after almost 60 years.