1927
Lillian
2019
Lillian Watkins Wilson
June 17, 1927 — June 27, 2019
Lillian Watkins Wilson, daughter of the late Roy Lee Watkins Sr. and Willie Anderson Watkins, was born in southeastern Tennessee on June 17, 1927. She knew she wanted to be a teacher when she was four years old. Because of various childhood health problems, doctors predicted she would not live to reach puberty.
In the fashion that permeated her long life, she defied them all. She graduated from Polk County High School in Benton, Tennessee as valedictorian of the class of 1946 and won a scholarship to Hiwassee College. Repeating her streak, she was also valedictorian of the Hiwassee Class of 1950. She earned her teaching degree at East Tennessee State University in 1956.
She was united in holy matrimony to Keith Duane Wilson on July 22, 1972. Her husband preceded her in death on September 11, 2017.
Lillian gave much of her life to the thousands of students she taught. She called her teaching career "three pieces of chalk," because she taught every phase of life. She spent her first thirty years teaching first and second grades, mostly in the Broward County Florida public school system. Until her passing, she remained in touch with children she taught more than fifty years ago, perhaps because she claimed the smiley face as her credo. Multiple students considered her a second mother. She spent her last seventeen years teaching English as a Second Language at Deerfield Beach Community School. She also conducted adult education classes at nursing homes throughout Broward County.
In 1996, she was inducted into the Polk County High School Alumni Hall of Fame. At the age of 70, she was recognized as Teacher of the Year for the state of Florida.
Lillian died peacefully on June 27, 2019 after a short illness. She was preceded in death by her three sisters: Lou Ann Watkins Miller, Polly Watkins Donnelly and Virginia Watkins Kimsey.
Her life of selfless service will be forever cherished by her surviving family: her brother, Roy Lee Watkins Jr. of Florence, South Carolina; her nieces: Ann Kimsey Elkins of Montgomery, AL, Dawn Kimsey Simpson of Oxford, AL, Norma Wilson of Gainesville, FL, Kim Lorraine Rubin of Round Rock, TX, Karon Marie Tongue of Canyon Lake, TX, Kay Laura Rushing of Leander, TX, and Andra Leigh Watkins of Charleston, SC; her nephews: Charles Wilson of Fairfax, VA and Neil Watkins of Hendersonville, NC; and various great-and great-great nieces and nephews.
A graveside service celebrating her life will be held sometime this summer at Sunset Memorial Gardens, 7180 Lee Highway, Cleveland, TN.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to Big Spring United Methodist Church, 1196 Hardwick Street SE, Cleveland, TN 37311.
Arrangements by J. Henry Stuhr, Inc. Mount Pleasant Chapel.
In the fashion that permeated her long life, she defied them all. She graduated from Polk County High School in Benton, Tennessee as valedictorian of the class of 1946 and won a scholarship to Hiwassee College. Repeating her streak, she was also valedictorian of the Hiwassee Class of 1950. She earned her teaching degree at East Tennessee State University in 1956.
She was united in holy matrimony to Keith Duane Wilson on July 22, 1972. Her husband preceded her in death on September 11, 2017.
Lillian gave much of her life to the thousands of students she taught. She called her teaching career "three pieces of chalk," because she taught every phase of life. She spent her first thirty years teaching first and second grades, mostly in the Broward County Florida public school system. Until her passing, she remained in touch with children she taught more than fifty years ago, perhaps because she claimed the smiley face as her credo. Multiple students considered her a second mother. She spent her last seventeen years teaching English as a Second Language at Deerfield Beach Community School. She also conducted adult education classes at nursing homes throughout Broward County.
In 1996, she was inducted into the Polk County High School Alumni Hall of Fame. At the age of 70, she was recognized as Teacher of the Year for the state of Florida.
Lillian died peacefully on June 27, 2019 after a short illness. She was preceded in death by her three sisters: Lou Ann Watkins Miller, Polly Watkins Donnelly and Virginia Watkins Kimsey.
Her life of selfless service will be forever cherished by her surviving family: her brother, Roy Lee Watkins Jr. of Florence, South Carolina; her nieces: Ann Kimsey Elkins of Montgomery, AL, Dawn Kimsey Simpson of Oxford, AL, Norma Wilson of Gainesville, FL, Kim Lorraine Rubin of Round Rock, TX, Karon Marie Tongue of Canyon Lake, TX, Kay Laura Rushing of Leander, TX, and Andra Leigh Watkins of Charleston, SC; her nephews: Charles Wilson of Fairfax, VA and Neil Watkins of Hendersonville, NC; and various great-and great-great nieces and nephews.
A graveside service celebrating her life will be held sometime this summer at Sunset Memorial Gardens, 7180 Lee Highway, Cleveland, TN.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to Big Spring United Methodist Church, 1196 Hardwick Street SE, Cleveland, TN 37311.
Arrangements by J. Henry Stuhr, Inc. Mount Pleasant Chapel.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Lillian Watkins Wilson, please visit our flower store.
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