Janet "Jan" Anne (Sternfelt) Dempster

Janet “Jan” Anne (Sternfelt) Dempster, 85, of Maryville, Tenn., formerly of New Milford, Conn., died Feb. 5, 2020, at Morning View in Maryville. She was the wife of William C. Dempster.
Jan was born Jan. 2, 1935, in Winchester, Mass., the youngest child born to Carl Walter Sternfelt and Marguerita (Bailey) Sternfelt. She grew up in Scituate, Mass., and graduated from high school there. She earned a teaching degree from Fitchburg Teachers’ College, now Fitchburg State, in Massachusetts.
She lived in Rhode Island for several years and worked in Cranston as the first certified special education teacher in the state. She later moved to Connecticut, where she met her husband. The couple lived in Rhode Island and Virginia for a number of years, before settling in Bedford and Massillon, Ohio, where she raised four children. She periodically taught in Bedford.
In 1983, the couple returned to Connecticut, where she taught full time. She retired in January of 1998 as a paraprofessional for special education for the New Milford School Public Schools before she and Bill moved to Tennessee.
Jan was a longtime member of the United Methodist Church, having attended Methodist churches in Rhode Island and Virginia, two Methodist churches in Ohio, including First United Methodist Church in Massillon, the New Milford United Methodist Church in New Milford, Conn., and Broadway United Methodist Church in Maryville. She served on several committees, sang in the choir and participated in Bible studies at many of the churches.
She was a Cub Scout den mother for her children and enjoyed camping with her family when her children were young. She was an avid reader, loved crossword puzzles and spending time with loved ones. In more recent years, she looked forward to using FaceTime to speak to her grandchildren.
In addition to her husband of 58 years, Jan is survived by four sons, Warren C. Dempster, and his wife, Marianne, of Concord, Ohio, Billy Dempster, and his wife, Alicia, of Danbury, James “Jim” Dempster of Fremont, Ohio, and Robert Dempster, and his wife, Deborah, of New Milford; six grandchildren, Allison Dempster of Mentor, Ohio, Sabine, Zack and Delaney Dempster of Danbury, and Nathaniel and Eleanor Dempster of New Milford; two nieces, Linda Sternfelt of Massachusetts and Patty Sternfelt of Rhode Island; a brother-in-law, Harry Dempster, and his wife Arlene, of San Diego; two nephews, Dave Dempster, and his wife, Marie, of Temecula, Calif., and Steve, and his wife Daisy, of Corona, Calif.; numerous great-nieces and -nephews on the West Coast; and cousins. She was predeceased by a brother, Robert Sternfelt.
A memorial service will be held at McCammon-Ammons-Click Funeral Home, 220 W. Broadway Ave., Maryville, Tenn., 37801 on Saturday, February 15, 2020 at 2:00 PM.
Memorials may be made to Broadway United Methodist Church Choir Fund and mailed to Broadway UMC, 309 E Broadway Ave., Maryville, TN 37804.