Rebecca Starling has completed her circle of life. And it was a big circle, beginning in Perry on Sept. 28, 1957, and ending peacefully in her Perry home on Dec. 5, 2024.
Rebecca lived her entire life as the eldest of eight, all children of Barbara and Vernon Starling.
After graduating from Perry High in 1975, Rebecca earned a B.A. in paraLegal studies at DMACC and a B.S. in elementary education at Southeastern University.
And somewhere along the way, she learned how to type . . . fast . . . really fast. Think Morse Code with no dashes.
With degrees in hand, Rebecca sought students all over the world. She taught English over the air waves at Overseas Radio and Television from 1989 to 1993 and then moved “down-the-street” to Taipei, Taiwan, for an additional four years of teaching and missionary work there. She left Perry speaking English and returned years later fluent in Mandarin Chinese.
Rebecca was a woman of faith. Her relationship with God was central to her daily life for decades, and her faith sustained her through her final breath. She truly has gone home.
Rebecca is mourned by her six surviving siblings, numerous nieces and nephews, multiple Starling descendants of the next generation and various brothers- and sisters-in-law.
A service of remembrance will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Fuente De Vita at 1216 Third St. in Perry. A reception will follow at the Perry Perk at 1201 Warford St. in Perry. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.caldwellparrish.com.
Ever the English teacher, Rebecca would have loved to have donations made to the Perry Public Library in lieu of flowers.
