Janet Lois Alsup Wise, age 78 of Starkville, MS, passed away Friday December 9, 2022 at her home.
Janet was born November 23, 1944 in Pulaski, TN to James William and Gladis Marie McCartney Alsup and was a devoted wife and mother. She attended Martin College in Pulaski, Tn from 1962-1963 and received a B.A. at David Lipscomb College in Nashville. In 1966 she earned an M.S. Degree from Florida State University and did post-graduate study at Duke University for which she was a recipient of the Burroughs Welcome Science Faculty Scholarship.
Janet had a long teaching career; having taught in Tallahassee Florida and as a Teaching Assistant in the Department of Biological Science, Florida State University in1971-72. In the summer of 1975 she was an instructor at Martin College in Pulaski. Her other teaching experiences were at Peace College Raleigh, North Carolina 1974-79, St. Agnes School Alexandria, Virginia 1980-81, at Columbus High School she taught from 1986-2000 and ended her teaching career at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science 2000-2011.
After retirement she was a tutor in Adult Education at Emerson School in Starkville, MS 2012-2020. During this time she was named Mississippi volunteer of the year, and was a reviewer for the website DNA From the Beginning at Cold Spring Harbor Lab in NY.
During her long career Janet received several awards, among them were Teacher of the Year Columbus High Scholl 1999-2000, The Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Award for Travel in Japan October 2003, Fred W. Brown Outstanding High School Science Teacher Award 2004. She also received an S.A. Rosenbaum Earthwatch Mississippi Fellowship to participate in an archaeological study at a Roman Fort in Romania in July of 2005. In addition she received the Distinguished Science Teacher Award from the Mississippi Science Teacher Association in 2009.
Visitation will be Monday December 12, 2022 from 3-7 at Carr & Erwin Funeral Home. Funeral will be 11am Tuesday December 13, 2022 at Carr & Erwin Chapel with interment in Old Orchard Cemetery in Petersburg, TN.
Memorial contributions may be made to Palmer Home for Children in Columbus, Mississippi.
Survivors include her husband Dwayne Wise of Mississippi, son Michael Eric Wise of Nashville, brother James “Jimmy” Alsup and wife Nancy of Pulaski, sister Carol Alsup Houge of Pulaski, grandchildren Aeryn Wise, Aiden Wise, numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.
