Mrs. Jacqueline Johnson Varnell passed away on August 9th, 2022 at Ogeechee Area Hospice surrounded by loved ones after a 13-year battle with kidney cancer.
Jackie graduated from Statesboro High School with Honors in 1966 and pursued a lifelong, innovative, and award-winning career in Math education. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Georgia Southern College in 1970. She earned a Master's Degree with Honors from West Georgia College in 1977, and a Specialist Degree with Honors from Valdosta State College in 1988, where she published research on Peer-Tutoring and Cooperative Learning.
She taught high-level and applied math for over 52 years. She taught high school students for 30 years in Screven, Muscogee, Fayette, Fulton, Effingham, Wilkinson, Worth, Bibb, Glynn, Evans, Bulloch, and Jones County school systems. She was a college math instructor at Coastal Georgia Community College, Macon College, Middle Georgia College, and Georgia Southern University, where she was an instructor until January of this year.
Her dedication to applied mathematics made her experience remarkable. At Wilkinson County High School in 1981, she created and founded their first computer programming department and raised funds for the equipment through community fund-raising events, like Womanless Beauty Pageants and Fashion Shows. At Brunswick High School, she was awarded the National Christa McAuliffe Fellowship Award where she created a multimedia program that won sixteen 1st place International Student Media Festival Awards. Over the years she was awarded over $100,000 of grants to establish unique learning programs.
Her efforts were recognized through many awards, including Wilkinson County High School Star Teacher in 1983 and 1987, the Sigma Xi Research Society Award for Outstanding Math/Science Teacher, the Tandy Technology Scholar Award, the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching in 1988, and Brunswick High School Teacher of the Year in 1997.
Jackie was also well-known and loved for her support of her husband Ricky’s ministry. She was a faithful servant, from teaching Sunday School to helping with the Youth program, in each church that they served within twelve communities in Georgia.
She is survived by her husband of 52 years, Richard F. Varnell, Sr., her daughter Tracey Varnell of Austin, TX, her son Richard F. Varnell, Jr. of Jacksonville, FL, her grandson Andrew Marshall Varnell of Brooklet, GA, her brother Samuel Oliff Johnson of Statesboro [Mary], and her sister Terry Johnson Joyner of Chattanooga, TN [Terry].
Jackie is preceded in death by her father, Grady Earl Johnson, her mother, Lottie Olliff Johnson, her brother Gary Ellis Johnson (all of Statesboro, GA), and her beloved Pomeranian, Foxy.
A service will be held at Pittman Park United Methodist Church on Saturday, August 13th at 2 PM. Attendees are invited to gather at 1 PM before the service to visit together and celebrate her life. Donations in her honor can be made to the Methodist Children's Home or the American Cancer Society.
Friends may sign the online register book at www.joineranderson.com
Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home & Crematory of Statesboro is in charge of arrangements.
.png;w=120;h=119;mode=crop)
