Doris DeRose

1940 - 2024

DEROSE (Walley), Doris Sandra

Doris Sandra Walley DeRose, a devoted educator, cherished wife, and loving mother, passed away peacefully on February 2nd, 2024, at the age of 83. Sandra was born on December 22, 1940, in Crosby, Mississippi, to the late Gavin Alexander Walley and the late Doris Metta Walley. She was their second child. Fostering a love of teaching from a young age, she earned her bachelor's in education from West Georgia College (now University) in 1961 before taking roles teaching across the South. Later in life, she returned to her alma mater to complete her Master of Education. She dedicated nearly 40 years of her life to teaching, touching countless lives in Savannah, Homestead, Florida, and ultimately Marietta, Georgia, where she taught until her retirement in 1998. In 1989, she was recognized as Georgia Teacher of the Year for her work with her Japanese students, an honor that reflected her excellence in the field. In 1975, Sandra married Lewis Benedict DeRose, a radiation physicist from New York, to whom she remained married for 48 years. Sandra was preceded in death by her sister, Sherian and brother, N.R. She leaves behind her husband, Lewis; sons, Jonathan and Joe; granddaughters, Clare and Lucy; and her beloved nephews and nieces. Sandra's life was filled with family, faith, and much joy. She will be dearly missed by all those who had the good fortune to know her. Funeral services will be held at 1 PM on Monday, February 19, 2024, at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Marietta, Georgia, following interment at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, Georgia. In lieu of flowers, it was Sandra's wish that any memorial tributes be made in the form of charitable donations to MUST Ministries (https://www.mustministries.org/give-help).