Eva Jewel Lee Ivey

Eva Jewel Lee Ivey, 91, passed away peacefully at her home on Thursday, December 26, 2024, after a short and brave battle with cancer. At her request, services will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests memorial contributions to Jacksonville Humane Society, 8464 Beach Boulevard, Jacksonville, FL 32216 or Samaritans Purse at samaritanspurse.org.

Eva was the youngest child of the late Henrietta Morgan Lee and the late Noah Jefferson Lee of Homerville, Georgia. Born on June 9, 1933, just outside of Waycross in Jamestown, Georgia, Eva and her sisters and brother made childhood memories in Dupont, Homerville, and Waycross. Eating watermelons from the garden, sliding down the hay in the barn, and listening to baseball games on the radio with her father were among some of her favorite family pastimes. She treasured all the memories, particularly the times they spent sleeping under the oak tree at her aunt’s farm to see the cows wake up in the morning.

Eva graduated from Waycross High School in 1950. Four years later, she married the love of her life, Cecil Edward Ivey, after he returned home from his time in the Navy. The couple then moved to Atlanta where Ed would attend Georgia Tech. During that time, their daughter, Kathy, was born. Upon his graduation, they returned to Waycross where Ed would begin his career with Atlantic Coastline Railroad (CSX) and Eva would continue her life’s journey as a homemaker. A loving wife and mother, she continuously worked to create a caring and encouraging environment in which to raise their family, which grew by two during their time in Waycross with the births of sons, Mike and Chris. As the railroad moved them to Birmingham, AL, Rockingham, NC, and eventually to Jacksonville, FL, she would spend time teaching her children the value of family and establishing happy, supportive homes for the family she cherished.

The Waycross Junior Woman’s Club provided opportunities for her to improve the lives of others by volunteering. She received multiple recognitions for the countless hours of serving alongside Dr. Vilda Shuman at the Crippled Children’s Clinic in Waycross. Eva also found it rewarding to volunteer at schools her children attended. Her servant’s heart led her to volunteer in her friend’s first grade classroom when the family moved to Jacksonville. With a smile always on her face, Eva was a great example of “service over self,” treating all children equally and as if they were her own. Eva lived her life according to The Golden Rule, and she taught it to her own children as well as to the children she taught in Sunday school.

Eva was preceded in death by her husband, Cecil Edward Ivey, and her siblings, Robert Aldine Lee, Rosemary Lee Henderson, and Sarah Lee Oglesby Burkhard.

Left to cherish the memories they shared with Eva are her children, Kathy Ivey James (Scott) of Perry, GA; Owen Michael “Mike” Ivey (Robin) of St. Augustine, FL; and Christopher Edward “Chris” Ivey of Jacksonville, FL; her grandson, Brandon Scott James (Allison) of Perry, GA; her granddaughters, Lindsey Marie Ivey, Amy Michaela Ivey, and Katie Lynn Ivey, all of St. Augustine; her great-grandson, Elliot Paul James; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. The family would like to thank Community Hospice and Palliative Care. Their Northside Team provided compassionate care over these last three months. The family would also like to acknowledge the many words of comfort and kind gestures expressed during this time.

Corey-Kerlin Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.