Wendy Darlene Howell, 54, passed away at Alive Hospice in Murfreesboro on April 30, 2024 after an extended illness.

Ms. Howell earned degrees from Motlow, Tennessee Tech, and MTSU and was a devoted teacher at Bel-Aire Elementary school in Tullahoma since 2008. In 2013, she was named Bel-Aire Teacher of the Year, Tullahoma City Schools District Teacher of the Year, and a Semi-Finalist for the State of Tennessee South-Central Regional Teacher of the Year.

She was an animal lover who enjoyed spoiling her two dogs, Pup and Herbie. A voracious reader for many years, she filled her classroom with books, making sure every student had his or her own books even when she had to furnish these herself. Seeing her students grow as readers was one of her most treasured accomplishments.

Along with her extended family of cousins, nieces, and nephews, she is survived by her loving siblings, Loree Clapham and Wes Spratlin, and her special friends, Cindy Allison, Elaine Posanka, Karen Reaves, and Todd Howell, as well as the many students whose lives she impacted throughout her career.

The family would like to thank all of those who made Wendy's last weeks comfortable, particularly the teams at Vanderbilt Medical Center and Alive Hospice.

A private memorial is planned at a later date and for those who wish, memorials may be made in memory of Wendy to a local library. An online guestbook is available for the family at www.woodfinchapel.com.