Earline Willis, 88, passed the morning of Saturday, December 20, 2025, surrounded by family and love.
Born on December 20, 1937 in Toone, Tennessee, Earline lived a life deeply rooted in faith, family, and meaningful connection. She has been a devoted Jehovah’s Witness since her baptism in 1963 and her faith guided every part of her life. She loved sharing what she believed and what it meant to her, spending countless hours talking with others about the Bible and the hope it gave her. Her faith was not only something she spoke about, but something she lived through kindness, generosity, and genuine care for others.
Earline was the heart of a large, close-knit family who truly loved doing life together. Family gatherings and reunions were her greatest joy, with hours spent around the table filled with laughter, cards, dice, dominoes, and conversations that never felt rushed. She loved a good game (and often won them), especially when it meant being surrounded by family and friends.
She found beauty in simple things and gave generously from her heart. She was always making something for someone; sewing, embroidering, or cooking, quietly turning love into something tangible. Her loved ones’ homes are filled with her creations: embroidered pillowcases, hand-sewn dresses and stuffies, blankets, aprons, and keepsakes made with care. She kept everyone full with her dinners, cookies and jams. Each family also holds a treasured collection of handwritten letters, each one bearing her familiar scrawl. She never let the art of letter writing fade, and her words will be cherished for generations.
Earline is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Deborah and Mark Sylvain, and Brenda and Ray Jozwik; her son and daughter-in-law, Randal Willis and Sharon Cruzado Willis; her daughter-in-law, Magdalena Willis Brooks, and her husband Chuck Brooks; her brother, Thomas Young and his wife Linda; her sisters, Mary Ruth Mathis, Diane Lambert and her husband Richard, and Bobbie Ann Bishop and her husband Nathan; her grandchildren, Serena Vanderheyden Sisco, Ashley Willis, Megan Willis, Ryan Willis and his wife Riley, Jordan Jozwik and his fiancé Kayla Marks, Brittney Willis, Alyssa Werley and her husband Garrett, and Kelsey Jozwik; her step-grandchildren, Eugene Cruzado, Madison Sisco and fiancé Cole, Timothy Sylvain and Megan Fuller, and Rebecca Lewis and Ronnie Bui; her great-grandchildren, Halee Sisco, Caden Sisco, Ava Werley, Evelyn Werley, Zed Weems, and Wrenn Willis; and her step-great-grandchildren, Anniston Sylvain, Ian Sylvain, Shavaya Lewis, and Ronnie Greyson Bui. She also leaves behind nieces, nephews, and a large spiritual family.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Albert Willis; her son, Terry Willis; her grandson, Joshua Vanderheyden; her twin sister Alene Young; and her parents, Luther Jack and Ina Inez Johnson Young.
Earline’s legacy is one of faith, love, family, and time spent together. That legacy lives on in every story told, every game played around a table, and in the hope she so freely shared with others.
