Ardath Grizzell

Obituaries

Tuesday, 26 July 2022 11:59

Ardath Land Grizzell, 102 of Birmingham and formerly of Sylvania, passed away on Saturday, July 16, 2022. A private family services was held on Wednesday, July 20, 2022.

Mrs. Grizzell was a longtime resident of Sylvania before moving to Birmingham. She graduated from Jacksonville State University and earned a Masters from Vanderbilt University. She was a teacher at Sylvania High for 38 years and a charter member of the DeKalb County Chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa, a sorority for women educators. When she was nearing her 100th birthday, an address was posted on social media for any of her former students who wanted to send a birthday card. At her family birthday party, she was presented with those cards totaling 137. Almost all of them contained personal sentiments and memories of her, some from students she taught 60 years ago, which seems remarkable since she, at age 100, had been retired for 36 years.

She is survived by her daughters, Caolyn Bryant, Joan (Gary) Crye; grandchildren, Craig Lehman, Christie Lahman, Bryan (Maria) Grizzell, Kristen (Chandler) McGarrah; stepsisters, Opal Sunderland, Fay Straub; four great-grandchildren; two nieces. She was preceded in death by her husband, Hodge Grizzell; son, Doyle (Eleanor) Grizzell; sister, Jean Carden; brother, Calvin Land; several stepbrothers and stepsisters.

“Most of us end up with no more than five or six people who remember us. Teachers have thousands of people who remember them for the rest of their lives,” – Andy Rooney.