Ivey Dee Chaffin Wolpert

Ivey Chaffin Wolpert, 89, died May 29, 2023 with her daughters by her side in Murfreesboro, TN.

Ivey was born in Jesup, GA on March 31, 1934 to Jack and Lee Ollie Nichols Chaffin. Ivey earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music from Montreat College and her Master’s in Education from Duke University. She taught elementary school in Jesup, Charleston, SC, and West Palm Beach FL before moving to Jacksonville, FL with her husband Michael J. Wolpert.  In 2011, Ivey moved to Murfreesboro, TN.

In Jacksonville Ivey taught 36 years, starting out in the classroom at San Mateo Elementary and then as a music teacher in numerous schools. She touched thousands of lives as a teacher and loved teaching music. Every student was important to her. She created and led numerous school programs for which she played the piano and led the chorus. They always sounded professional and every child sang.  Ivey also taught piano after school for many years. She was active in the church, singing in the choir and leading the church youth choir at Northshore Presbyterian Church. She converted to the Orthodox Church in 2006 and attended St. Justin’s Orthodox Church in Jacksonville where she sang in the choir.

In her retirement, she was active in the Jacksonville Friends of the Library as their treasurer, Alpha Delta Kappa teacher’s sorority, and Business and Professional Women. She enjoyed going out to eat with her daughter, Susan. She also took up travel, traveling across America with her cousins, seeing Alaska, touring through Scotland, and cruising across Europe on a riverboat.

She was a wonderful mom. She always supported her daughters in their endeavors and dreams, even if it took them far from home. She will be deeply missed, even by her sons-in-law, whom she deeply loved. Her daughters teased Ivey that she loved her sons-in-law more than she loved them.  

Ivey is survived by her daughters and their husbands, Susan Wolpert McCullough and Alex Burkhardt, and Karen Wolpert Sherman and Ted Sherman, and 4 grandchildren, Kathryn Sherman-Whitehead, Nathaniel Sherman, Naomi Sherman and Seraphim Sherman.

The funeral service will be held at St. Ignatius Church in Franklin, TN on Saturday June 10, at 10 AM with visitation also at St. Ignatius on Friday, June 9, from 5 - 6 PM. A short memorial service will be held later in Jacksonville at St. Justin Martyr Orthodox Church.

Flowers can be sent to St. Ignatius Orthodox Church 3535 St. Ignatuis Lane Franklin, Tennessee 37064 or in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to International Orthodox Christian Charities (https://iocc.org).

WILLIAMSON MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOME 3009 Columbia Avenue Franklin, Tennessee 37064.  615-794-2289