I was out of town last week, when I discovered that my Second Grade Teacher Mrs. Jarrett had passed away. A bunch of us “kids” went through the eighth grade at Sunnyview Elementary before moving to our high school years at Carter. We all remember most of our teachers (positive and negative) I can say Mrs. Jarrett was positive. I texted my life’s longest friend when I got the news last week, (we met the first day of second grade) and we remembered and shared stories from second grade.
Mrs. Jarrett, you deserve the rest, Go Rest High on that Mountain.
Born: January 05, 1929
Died: June 21, 2015
Jarrett, Joyce Ann Dodson- of Knoxville passed peacefully into the loving arms of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on Sunday, June 21, 2015, at the age of 86 years. Joyce was born to William Doyle and Mary Saphronia Dodson on January 5,1929 in Knoxville Tennessee.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Aubrey Jarrett of 54 years. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Ronnie and Jennifer Jarrett of Ooltewah TN; her grandsons, Christopher Jarrett of Knoxville, TN, Stephen Jarrett of Atlanta, Ga, and Nicholas Jarrett of Chattanooga, TN; her two brothers and sister-in-laws, Dr. William Jr. and Janelle Dodson of Murray, KY, and David and Jacque Dodson of Knoxville, TN; sisters-in-law, Shelby Robinson of Marshill, NC, Wilma Freeman of Leicester, NC, Iva Jarrett of Weaverville, NC; her brother-in-law and wife, Norman and Mary Jarrett of Asheville; and several nieces and nephews.
Joyce left with us an unequaled drive of service for others. She dedicated most of her life to serving children, beginning with her younger brother David, 16 years younger, for whom she was like a second Mother. She was a first and second grade teacher for 40 plus years, ten of those teaching in the inner city schools of Washington, DC. She taught for more than thirty years in Knox County at Carter Elementary School and then moved to Sunnyview Elementary when it first opened and remained there until she retired. She was a graduate of Carson Newman College in Education and later obtained a Master’s in Education from George Washington University.
Her pride and joy were her three grandsons, whom she loved and cared for during her favorite career, which was being a Grandmother. She was a 50 plus year member of Chilhowee Hills Baptist Church in Knoxville, where she served teaching Sunday School in the children’s department and as a long time member of the church choir. In her later years, she was a dedicated caregiver to her husband, Aubrey, until he passed away.
For the past two years, she lived at Lifecare of Ooltewah to be closer to her son where she was cared for by the loving and caring staff, while making many new friends with other residents and staff members. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends but she left her mark on this world with her unselfish service that will live on through her family, the hundreds of children she taught, and her loyal and faithful service to her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
