Jahala E. Stirling

April 26, 1934 ~ February 24, 2026

Born in: Albemarle, North Carolina
Resided in: Gainesville, Florida

Jahala E Stirling

A teacher, a leader, a true professional of high standards, who gave to her students and peers all she had to give and then reached inside and found more to give.

On February 24, 2026, we lost Jahala Stirling, who finished teaching her last lesson to a friend and passed away at the age of 91.

She was born in Albemarle, North Carolina on April 26, 1934, living in a boarding house her mother and grandmother operated. They lived alongside several other residents who all helped care for her. She later moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, where she attended Harding High School. She went on to graduate from High Point College in High Point, North Carolina.

It was there that she met and fell in love with Kyle Stirling Jr., who was a classmate and working as a writer at Old Salem at the time. Together, they built a life centered on family, learning, and service. They raised three children and moved to Gainesville, Florida in 1965.

Jahala devoted 30 years to the Alachua County School Board, beginning as a teacher from 1966 to 1985 and ending as a principal. This was at a time when federal judges called Alachua County one of the best voluntarily desegregated school systems in the South. She was known as someone who made sure everyone had what they needed and were doing what they were supposed to be doing, always steady, attentive, and deeply committed to the success of others.

After her work in the public school system, she continued teaching at Santa Fe Community College and Saint Leo University. She later spent more than a decade serving as a Circuit Court mediator, helping resolve small claims disputes with patience, fairness, and care.

Her commitment to service extended deeply into her church and community. At Trinity United Methodist Church in Gainesville, she was an active and devoted member for decades. She served on the Administrative Board (1996–1997), the Board of Trustees (1993), and coordinated the singles program from 1988 to 1992. She was a member of the Sunshine Circle and the United Methodist Women, and at some point, she contributed to nearly every committee in the church. She also served as a lay delegate to the Florida Annual Conference, worked on the Staff Parish Relations Committee and Church Council, and helped lead adult programs, including the “Alert Adults” group.

Jahala was a frequent facilitator of the Misty Mornings Sunday School class and served as Spiritual Growth Enrichment Director for missions. Her faith was active and outward-facing. She participated in mission studies and traveled to El Salvador in 2015 on a mission trip with fellow church members.

Throughout the Gainesville community, she was often recognized by former students and others whose lives she had touched. These moments were a reflection of the lasting impact she had as well as a reminder of how many people she helped along the way.

She was a lifelong teacher and a source of stability, encouragement, and learning to all who knew her. She had a deep love of words, often collecting sayings, writing reflections, and sharing thoughtful devotions with others. She was one of a kind and was generous with encouragement, advice, and counsel.

In the fall of 2025, she experienced a rapid onset illness and was later diagnosed with cancer. She faced her illness with strength and grace, and the months that followed gave her family and loved ones precious time together. That time was, in many ways, both painful and beautiful. It offered moments of joy, connection, reflection, and healing.

Her passing has left a profound gap in the lives of the many people she touched and influenced.

Crevasse’s Simple Cremation is honored to serve the Stirling family.