Jean Sterling

Wilma Jean Depp Sterling was born in Eighty-Eight, KY to Hermon and Lillian Depp on April 15, 1929. She died June 6, 2020. Jean graduated from high school as valedictorian in ‘47. Because there was a teacher shortage, the school superintendent asked her to teach in a one room school house (grades 1-8) in EightEight. For 2 years she taught relatives and neighbors, took correspondence courses at Western KY University and attended doubled loads of college courses in the summers. She graduated in ‘51 with a degree in elementary education. Jean taught 2 years in Louisville. During the summers, she worked on her Masters in Education at Vanderbilt Peabody College in Nashville where she met Joe Sterling. They married on the same day as their graduation in ‘54 and move to Apopka, FL. Jean taught at Apopka Elementary, Dream Lake Elementary, Union Park Elementary and Liberty Middle. Even though she retired from OCPS in’91, she continued teaching Sunday School until her 90th birthday. In addition to her full time career, she assisted her family in theirs. She spent many years keeping the stats for Joe’s basketball games. She helped Lois Ann with children’s choir at First Baptist Orlando. She encouraged and supported Joe, Alice and Jon as they pursued their careers. She was preceded in death by Joe after 61 years of marriage in 2015 and by her youngest, Jon, in 2012. She is survived by Joe, Jr. (Djina); Alice (Jeff Deen); Adopted family member, Lois Ann Roberts (Bob); grandchildren: Cassidy, Joey, Josh and Annie. A memorial honoring the life of Jean Sterling will be held Sunday, July 26th at 3:00 pm Downtown Baptist Church Orlando (parking garage entrance off Church Street). The memorial will be streamed also.