Opal Lee Ferrell

Mom attended South Charleston High School, in Charleston, West Virginia and graduated in 1945, where she was one of the editors for the school paper and wrote her columns “Hot Slugs of News” by Newsy Reed. Mom was awarded a full scholarship in Journalism at West Virginia University. She was a member of the National Honor Society for her four years in high school, and was Valedictorian of her class in 1945. She was a captain of the Civil Air Patrol Cadets, during her senior year. Mom was given six flight instructions by a sea plane captain, due to an accident by a fellow cadet, her father forbade her to continue with her flight lessons.

In 1946, after her best friend persuaded her to go on a blind date, she met the love of her life, they were never separated again, except by death. In 1956, with 5 children, with their faith in God and belief for a better life, packed up their belongings and their children, moved to Jacksonville, Florida. They began their lifelong journey, where she was a homemaker, until she began employment at Velda Farms where she was the office manager. Mom, began her career with Duval County Public Schools as the secretary to the principal at Pine Dale Elementary. When her youngest daughter (Terrie) was in seventh grade, Mom continued her career as a bookkeeper at Paxson Junior High School, until her retirement.

Her employment with Duval County Schools did not overshadow with the raising of her children, where she, along with dad instilled a strong foundation of God, attending Murray Hill Methodist Church where she often would be recognized as the youngest mother with the most children in church. Mom intertwined her family values, her commitment to both country and community, and served in several different roles including troop leader for boy scouts, while her sons were younger, mom and dad chaperoning sleepovers for Young Methodist Youth Group, followed by pancake breakfasts. Mom cultivated a warm and loving atmosphere for young Christian souls, because all of the children at church she considered her own and had a responsibility to raise them according to God’s teachings.

Mom’s greatest joy came from the role of “nana”. Her eyes sparkled when she would give very innocence tips on how to correctly slide down stairs, sliding into bases and making sure dirt was deeply grounded into white clothes. Her childlike personality would easily make an appearance when she was with her grandchildren. She was like Tinkerbell, raising the lost boys, only they were her grandchildren and she could spend hours teaching lessons of life, in a child like atmosphere. She was the greatest card player with the sweetest smile as she would lay down her Rook cards, holding a full house.

She is preceded in death by her parents Mabel and William Reed, her husband of sixty-nine and a half years, William (Bill) Ferrell, their son Dean Wesley Ferrell, her granddaughter, Christina Lee Ferrell and her grandson, Tommy Douglas Tant Jr., she is survived by her children Mary Jo Lee (Jack), Barbara Ferrell Tant (Tommy), Charles William Ferrell (Martha), Cia Stappwood (Mike), and Teresa Ferrell DeVries. She adored her grandchildren: Will Tant, Tara Henley, Schuyler Stapp, and Andrew DeVries, and cherished her third-generation babies: Wyatt Stapp, Noa Stapp, Eleanor Tant.