Willa Stephens

Willa Johnson Stephens, 92



Willa Johnson Stephens died March 8, 2008, at Kingsbridge Care Facility in Brevard, NC. Born in Durant, Florida July 18, 1915, she was the daughter of the late Ida Bledsoe Johnson and Albert Enoch Johnson. Willa had one sister, also deceased, Edna Johnson Sparkman.

Willa grew up in the Tampa, Florida area where she graduated from Hillsborough High

School in 1931. In 1934, Willa graduated from Florida Southern College at Lakeland with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in music and a minor in mathematics. She began her teaching career at Turkey Creek and continued teaching for thirty-three years, in both public and private schools in Florida.

While teaching at Florida Southern College at Lakeland, she served as a member of the School Math Study Group, spending time in 1960 at Stanford University,California. The group also went to Yale University, New Haven, Conn. in 1961. The team wrote sample math texts for grades four through six.

Professionally, Willa was active in Delta Kappa Gamma Honor Society, Florida Association of Educators, and the National Education Association.

In 1945, Willa married Paul Sessions. That marriage lasted until Paul's death in 1979. Willa was a widow for five years. Her second husband was Bob Hires who lived only a few months after the marriage. Her third husband was W.B. Stephens (Steve) of Tampa, Florida. In 1986, Willa and Steve bought a house in the Little River section of Transylvania County, NC. Steve died in 1989, and Willa continued

to spend part of each year at each home. She moved to NC permanently in 1993. She loved the area and spent much time in volunteer work teaching math at Schenck Job Corps and tutoring in the Little River Baptist Church after-school program.

Willa belonged to St. Timothy United Methodist Church, Brevard, NC, during the last

several years of her life. She especially enjoyed and appreciated the music, the card ministry, the Lydia Circle, and the various ministers there. The Rev. Randy Harry was very special to her during her last several months of life.

Survivors include: nephews Jay, Kenny, Bert and Ed Sparkman of Florida; Pete Sessions of Georgia; and niece Faye Stewart of Maryland. Special friends/caregivers are Kathy and Mike Wilson of Pisgah Forest, NC.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00, on Saturday, March 15, at St. Timothy United Methodist Church in Brevard. Memorials may be made to the church at P.O. Box 409, Brevard, NC, 28712, or to the charity of one's choice. The world has lost a very special Child of God.