An educator and an advocate for youth, Ewing was 90 years old.
Editor’s note: The following obituary was submitted by the Ewing family.
Jereline Blacknell Ewing, a distinguished educator whose career spanned continents and inspired countless colleagues and students, died peacefully on December 17 at her home in Coconut Grove. She was 90.
Born Breacya Jereline Blacknell on September 26, 1934, in DeLand, Florida, she was known to all as Jerri or Bre. She descended from one of Coconut Grove’s founding Bahamian families and was the daughter of Ruth Johnson Blacknell, an influential educator, and Rev. John Benjamin Blacknell, a respected Florida clergyman.
A precocious student, Jerri graduated from Dorsey High School in Miami at just 16 in 1951. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from North Carolina Central University in 1955, where she played on the women’s basketball team and studied alongside classmates like director Ivan Dixon and legendary coach Herman Boone. She later completed a master’s degree in education at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.
Her professional career began overseas at Baumholder American High School in Germany, serving U.S. military families. She joined the Fairfax County Public Schools in northern Virginia in 1970, working as a teacher, administrator, and substance abuse prevention specialist at schools including Hayfield Secondary School in Alexandria, W.T. (former) Woodson H.S. in Fairfax and Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke.
Her direct yet compassionate approach left a lasting impact, empowering students to take ownership of their future and navigate challenges with resilience and integrity. She was not just a mentor but a steadfast advocate, shaping lives with equal measures of guidance and accountability.
Certified in conflict resolution and dispute management, she focused her efforts on empowering students and families with the tools and skills needed to resolve disputes – whether between peers or within families – through dialogue and mutual understanding.
After retiring in 2000, Jerri worked as an educational consultant, advising organizations such as USAID and school systems both internationally and across the United States
Jerri’s faith was a cornerstone of her life. A lifelong Episcopalian, she was an active member of Christ Episcopal Church in Coconut Grove during her youth, Saint James Episcopal Church in Alexandria, and St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. She was also a devoted member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and believed fervently in upholding its principles of sisterhood, scholarship, service, and social action.
She instilled in her children values of education, respect, self-reliance, and service. In 2017, her family established the Jereline Blacknell Ewing Endowed Fellowship at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business, providing support to MBA students with leadership potential and a commitment to diversity.
Her passions extended beyond education. She actively campaigned for former President Barack Obama during his 2008 presidential bid and celebrated his election as a watershed moment in history.
Her love of music was as broad as it was dynamic, spanning the gospel of Mahalia Jackson and James Cleveland, the calypso rhythms of Harry Belafonte, the powerful protest anthems of Nina Simone, and the unapologetic boldness of Millie Jackson—reflecting a harmony of devotion, defiance, and depth.
Jerri was predeceased by her husband, the 8th-generation Nashvillian MSG Russell C.B. Ewing, whom she married in 1965; her older brother, John Benjamin Blacknell, who died early in childhood; and her cousins Bernard Washington and Anne Mena Johnson, with whom she shared a sibling-like bond.
She is survived by her children, Dr. Ruth Y. Ewing (Ronald Dyer) and Russell Ewing (Vani Manja); her grandchildren, Mena Ewing-Williams, Rohan Ewing, and Marali Ewing-Dyer; and many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and godchildren, including Francine (Washington) Lawrence, Breacya (Washington) Parker, Teresa Washington, Dianne Washington, Ronald Johnson, and Dr. Lois Lunderman.
Mrs. Ewing will be cremated, and her ashes will be interred alongside her husband’s at the historic Greenwood Cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee, fulfilling her wish to be reunited with the love of her life.
The family deeply appreciates memorial contributions to the Alzheimer’s Association, the Alpha Lambda Chapter Endowment of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Jereline Blacknell Ewing Endowed Fellowship at Carnegie Mellon University, or another charitable organization of your choice.
