May 2, 1938 ~ July 13, 2026 (age 88)
Gladys Virginia Hester, lovingly known as Gladys, passed away on July 13, 2026, in West Point, Georgia, at the age of 88.
She was born on May 2, 1938, in West Point, Georgia, to Charles Williams and Virginia Williams, both of whom preceded her in death. Gladys lived a life marked by love, kindness, and intelligence, and she carried those qualities with her in every season of life. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, educator, and friend, and she touched the lives of many through her gentle spirit and steady presence.
Gladys graduated from West Point High School as valedictorian, a distinction that reflected her dedication, discipline, and bright mind. She went on to graduate from Auburn University with honors and earned a degree in education. Her love of learning and her gift for teaching led her to a long and meaningful career as a kindergarten teacher at Springwood, where she served for more than 20 years. She had a special way with children and helped shape the earliest school experiences of countless young students with patience, encouragement, and care.
Family was the center of Gladys’s life, and she adored her husband of 64 years, Jimmy Hester. Together they built a life grounded in devotion, faith, and enduring love. She is survived by her husband, Jimmy Hester; her son, Frank Hester and his wife, Leigh; her daughter, Mary Charles Rampy and her husband, Todd; her grandchildren, Jim Hester and his wife, Payton, Will Hester and his wife, Michelle, Chase Hester, Charlsie Miller and her husband, Hammond, and Rachel Rampy; her great-grandchildren, Hayes Hester, Hampton Hester, Harrison Hester, Henley Miller, and Annie Hester; and her brother, Billy Williams and his wife, Barbara. She treasured each member of her family and found great joy in watching them grow, succeed, and carry forward the values she held dear.
Gladys was known for her loving heart, her kind nature, and her intelligent mind. She had a quiet strength that brought comfort to those around her, and her presence was a blessing to all who knew her. Whether in her home, her classroom, or among family and friends, she offered warmth, wisdom, and grace. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren held a particularly special place in her heart, and she cherished every moment spent with them.
Her life was a beautiful example of devotion to family, service to others, and steadfast love. Though she will be deeply missed, her legacy will live on in the lives she influenced, the lessons she taught, and the love she shared so generously. Gladys Virginia Hester will be remembered with great affection and gratitude by all who were fortunate enough to know her.
Funeral services for Gladys will be held on Thursday, July 16th, 2026, at 11:00 AM (EDT) at the graveside in Marseilles Cemetery in West Point, Georgia. The Reverend Jerry Ledbetter will officiate. Gladys’s family will receive friends following the service at the First Baptist Church of West Point.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to Chattahoochee Hospice in memory of Gladys.
Please visit Gladys’s Memorial Tribute page at www.johnsonbrownservicefh.com to leave a kind word for her family, to share a memory of Gladys, or to light a Remembrance Candle in her memory.
Johnson Brown-Service Funeral Home of Valley directing.
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