COLUMBIA, Md. - On May 21, 2004, Lanier File Ratcliffe died in Columbia, Md., at Somerford Place Assisted Living following a short illness. The daughter of William H. and Addie Lanier File, Mrs. Ratcliffe was born June 19, 1913, in Beckley. She graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1929 and from Randolph-Macon Woman's College in 1934 with a degree in chemistry. Following her graduation, she returned to Beckley and began her career teaching math in the Raleigh County school system, mostly at Woodrow Wilson High School. In 1961 and 1965, she received grants from the National Science Foundation for advanced math studies at Purdue and Drew universities. She not only taught the new math to her own classes, but she also taught the new approaches to other teachers in the county in county-sponsored classes. In the early 1970s, she taught the first computer programming courses in the county, instructing students in Basic and Fortran. At that time the students' programs were put on punch tapes. She taught a total of 25 years, and at her retirement in 1976, was chairperson of the Math Department at Woodrow Wilson. Mrs. Ratcliffe was also active in civic groups and in her church. She had been a member of the Beckley Junior Woman's Club and president of the Highland Garden Club. She was a member of First Christian Church for more than 50 years, and served as teacher, elder and church librarian. After she and her husband moved to Matthews County, Va., in 1978, she was an elder in the First Presbyterian Church in Gloucester, Va. She was married to Edwin Ratcliffe for 54 years until his death in 1997. She was also preceded in death by her sister, Ann Louise File. Survivors include three children, Ann Ratcliffe of Greeley, Colo., Mary Ratcliffe of Columbia, Md., and Edwin Navarro of Mill Valley, Calif.; a grandson, Alex Navarro of Petaluma, Calif.; a sister, Elizabeth File Reed of Norfolk, Va.; a brother, William H. File Jr. of Beckley; and many nieces and nephews. Service will be 11 a.m. Saturday, June 5, at First Christian Church, Beckley, with the Revs. Donald Snyder and Ellen L. File presiding. Visitation will precede the service beginning at 10 a.m. Private internment will follow at Sunset Memorial Park, Beckley. In lieu of flowers, Mrs. Ratcliffe's family requests that donations be sent in her memory to Mountain State University, Box 9003, Beckley, WV 25802-9003, for their Scholarship Circle Fund.