Jean Stringer Priest, 93, of Gainesville, Georgia, passed away peacefully on June 16, 2026, surrounded by her daughters. Born on January 31, 1933, Jean lived a long and meaningful life marked by creativity, faith, and a deep devotion to those she loved.

Funeral services will be held Monday June 22, 2026 at 2 p.m. at the Gainesville First Baptist Church. Rev. Mark Green will officiate. Interment will follow at Alta Vista Cemetery. The family will receive friends Monday June 22, 2026 from 11 am to 1:00 p.m. at the funeral home. 

Jean was married to Emmett Monroe Priest, with whom she shared many years of companionship, laughter, and steadfast love. She was preceded in death by Monroe, as well as two daughters, Pamela Jean Lewis and Angela Kim Lewis Tankersley.

Jean is survived by her daughters Karen Leah Lewis and Cathy Jo Lewis; her granddaughters Christy Brooke Beasley, Amanda Rose Norton, Tiffany Jean Tankersley, and Jessica Marie Gottler-Prewitt; her great-grandchildren Kaden-Tyler Mason Ramos, Landon-Kane Anthony Ramos, Eliza Rose Norton, Jacob Anthony Norton, Peyton Lytle Gottler, Liam Sutton Prewitt, Molly Grace Beasley, and Boone Henry Beasley; and her great-great grandson Landon-Kane Anthony Ramos II.

Jean was a gifted artist whose portrait and landscape work touched many lives. She was a longtime, dedicated member of the Georgia Art League and the Quinlan Visual Arts Center. Her creativity extended well beyond the canvas—she was educated in classical music, a devoted musician, and for many years played piano for her Joy Sunday School Class, offering music that brought comfort and connection to her church community.

She was also an avid gardener, finding peace and purpose in tending to her flowers and plants. Her garden was a reflection of her spirit—patient, nurturing, and full of quiet beauty.

For many years, Jean volunteered at the Family Life Center, a community and wellness ministry of First Baptist Church of Gainesville. She gave her time generously, always ready to help others with a warm smile and a servant’s heart. Her presence there was a blessing to many, and her commitment to serving her community was a quiet but powerful part of her life.

Jean was a wonderful cook and endlessly creative in the kitchen. Her homemade Christmas English Toffee became a beloved tradition—she gave away countless boxes each year, and by early fall her friends would begin asking if she planned to make “the toffee” again. It was one of the many ways she shared love, warmth, and sweetness with those around her.

Jean will be remembered for her grace, her creativity, her quiet humor, and the way she made every person feel seen and valued. Her legacy lives on in her family, her artwork, her music, her garden, her cooking, and the countless lives she brightened.

May her memory be a blessing to all who knew and loved her.