Virginia Ann Peeples

In Loving Memory of Virginia Ann Peeples

May 9, 1962 – September 8, 2026

With heavy hearts and profound sadness, the family of Virginia Ann Peeples announces her passing on September 8, 2026, in Sebring, Florida. While words can never fully capture the life she lived or the love she gave, those fortunate enough to have known Vann will remember a woman whose presence was felt deeply—in her family, her schools, her community, and in the countless lives she touched along the way.

Virginia was born on May 9, 1962, in West Palm Beach, Florida, to Woodrow Wilson Peeples Jr. and Sarah Jane Negus. Raised in Venus, Florida, Vann grew up surrounded by the values of an old-fashioned way of life—hard work, determination, family, and the kind of grit that taught her to face life head-on. Those lessons became the foundation of the remarkable woman she would become.

A proud graduate of Lake Placid High School, Vann would eventually return to the halls of her alma mater, not simply as an educator, but as someone who genuinely believed in the potential of every child who crossed her path. She became one of Lake Placid High School’s most devoted educators before later transitioning to School Board of Highlands County, where she served as the district’s Math and Science Coach. Education was more than a career for Vann; it was part of her purpose. She poured her knowledge, patience, encouragement, and heart into her work, leaving an unforgettable mark on students, teachers, colleagues, and families throughout Highlands County.

Yet, for all that she accomplished professionally, family was the heart of Vann’s world. She is survived by her loving husband, Jonathan Wade Sherwood; her son, Brandon Peeples Lykes (Wife Kiva Nicole Lykes) daughters Jennifer Ashley Massey; and the grandchildren who brought immeasurable joy and purpose to her life: Madison Elizabeth Jacobs, Phoenix Alivia Lykes, Jett Adam Lykes, Lane Tyler Cartwright, Cole Allen Cartwright, Acacia Rowen Lykes, and Calaya Sadie Lykes. She is also survived by her beloved mother, Sarah Jane Negus (Jett) and her brothers, Willis Austin Peeples and Woodrow Wilson Peeples III. She was preceded in death by her father, Woodrow Wilson Peeples Jr. To Vann, being a grandmother was one of life's greatest gifts. With the arrival of each grandchild came a new kind of excitement, another little person to love fiercely and another reason to make life magical. She showed up whenever she could—at games, school events, celebrations, milestones, and the everyday moments that often become the memories we treasure most. She threw birthday parties, created epic Christmases, walked countless miles through the streets of Disney, and took her grandchildren traveling, giving them experiences and memories they will carry for the rest of their lives. Her grandchildren never had to wonder whether Zsa Zsa was proud of them. She made sure they knew. Vann also possessed a beautiful sense of adventure. Her travels carried her across the world, from New Zealand to Aruba, from summer vacations in Breckenridge, Colorado, to hiking along the West Coast. She embraced the opportunity to see something new, experience another adventure, and—most importantly—share those experiences with the people she loved.

Vann was many things throughout her life: a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, an educator, a mentor, a colleague, and a friend. But titles alone cannot explain who she was. She was the person who showed up. She celebrated loudly, loved deeply, worked tirelessly, and gave generously of herself. She could turn an ordinary moment into a memory and made the people she loved feel that their lives mattered. Her absence leaves a space that cannot simply be filled. There will be classrooms that carry pieces of her influence, former students who remember something she taught them, colleagues who remember her dedication, and family traditions that will forever bear her touch. There will be birthdays when someone remembers how she would have celebrated, Christmas mornings when her presence is especially missed, trips when someone wishes she were coming along, and milestones when her family will instinctively look for the woman who was always there.

But perhaps that is the beauty of a life lived as fully as Vann's: she leaves pieces of herself everywhere.

She lives on in the students she encouraged, the educators she supported, the community she served, the adventures she shared, the traditions she created, and most of all, in the family she loved beyond measure.

With heavy hearts, we will lay a beautiful soul to rest on Saturday, September 19, 2026. We will grieve because we loved her deeply, but we will also celebrate because we were blessed to have known her, learned from her, laughed with her, traveled with her, and called her ours.

Virginia “Vann” Peeples lived a life that mattered. She loved greatly, gave freely, taught faithfully, traveled boldly, and left this world surrounded by a legacy that will continue through every life she touched.

Her voice may now be still, but her love will echo through our family for generations

Arrangements entrusted to: Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home Sebring, Florida www.stephensonnelsonfh.com