Virginia “Jinny” Osteen Shope was called to her eternal rest at the age of 72 on June 17th in Alpharetta, Georgia following a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Born in Sumter, South Carolina, she was the daughter of the late Noah Eugene Osteen and the late Virginia Parrott Osteen.
After graduating from Wilson Hall a year early as salutatorian, she attended the University of South Carolina where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education in only three years. Jinny taught for many years before retiring from Addison Elementary School where she was loved by all her students. At age 55, she earned her Master of Education in Early Childhood Education from Kennesaw State University. She worked tirelessly to design lessons to meet each one of her students’ interests and needs.
She married Jared Law Shope, also from Sumter. Their 52-year marriage was built on enduring love, commitment, and devotion to family. While raising their two daughters, Jinny stepped away from teaching to focus on her family before returning to the classroom. Throughout her career, she balanced her passion for teaching with the role she treasured most—being a mother. By her example, she helped shape her daughters into the wonderful, resilient, intelligent, and hardworking women they are today.
Jinny loved teaching, especially helping a child learn to read, dancing with her children when they came home from school, painting, being creative, exploring art museums, nice people, wood burning fires on cold nights, smiles, freshly sharpened pencils and laughter. Above all she loved her children, her grandchildren, her students and really all children.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by her two daughters and their families: Truin Law Huntley, her husband Daniel Huntley, and their son, Jasper Jared Huntley; and Calin Osteen-Shope Smedsrud, her husband Ben Smedsrud, and their daughter, Arden Clair Smedsrud.
A service to celebrate Jinny’s life will be held on Friday, July 17th, 2026 at 2:00 PM in the historic sanctuary of Roswell Presbyterian Church 755 Mimosa Blvd, Roswell, GA. A reception will follow in the narthex of the main sanctuary.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Roswell Presbyterian Church Children’s Christmas Fund (see https://www.roswellpres.org/ccf-contribution-form ) or to any charity that primarily benefits and serves children.
