The Survivor

Vicki Shumate Whitley has faced many trials in her life. Perhaps that’s why she’s been a blessing to a countless number of others

Words by Terrell Manasco | Images by Blakeney Clouse 

 Girls’ sports had not taken the field in the 1960’s at Parrish High School. That was fine with Vicki Studdard because she was definitely not the athletic type. Several times being chosen last when teams were divided for softball left her finding a convenient place to become invisible under the corner of the old rock bridge adjacent to the playing field. 

That might have continued through high school if not for a lady named Charlotte Longman. Miss Longman, Vicki’s Home Economics teacher, saw talent in her and arranged for her to spend a few P.E. classes in the Home Economics Lab each week. That worked out well for Vicki. She had found her niche.

Vicki could turn out sewing projects in no time. She and Miss Longman decided on a project making baby and children’s clothes to donate to a clothes closet at a local church. “I had been a constant at my grandmother’s Singer sewing machine for quite some time,” Vicki says. “It was a natural thing for me.”

When Vicki was growing up, her father, Morris Studdard, hoped she might become a pharmacist, but Vicki had other ideas. “I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a teacher and when I took my first Home Economics class, it sealed the deal. I never even thought about changing my major,” she says.

 In 1976, Vicki graduated from the University of Alabama. At the time, Home Economics jobs were tight, usually one per high school, so she landed a job teaching English and Reading at Oakman Elementary School. Two years later, Jasper Middle School principal Wayne Henslee offered her a Home Economics teaching position. Vicki was already acquainted with Henslee: he had been her principal at Parrish High School, which, she says, was “kind of neat.”

The move became Vicki’s opportunity to shine. The young lady who did not enjoy P.E. classes received her master’s degree in Home Economics in 1980 from the University of Alabama and became the first Home Economics teacher in Alabama to receive National Board Certification. She later earned her second master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling from the University of West Alabama. 

Then Vicki’s life took an unexpected turn, one that threatened to derail her altogether. Reeling from a divorce, she refused to be sidelined but used it as fuel, throwing herself headlong into her work. Her career became her life, her co-workers and students became her second family. As a result, Vicki was selected by her peers to receive Maddox Middle School’s first-ever Teacher of the Year Award.

Vicki retired six years ago after a 39-year teaching career she calls “a Godsend.” She served her last eight years as a school guidance counselor, but her heart has always been Home Economics.

“I see articles about kids needing to know how to balance a checkbook, sew on a button, measure with a ruler, prepare themselves something to eat, etc.,” Vicki says. “I think back to life skills that I enjoyed teaching the kids. It was really the first time that students had the opportunity to take a class for credit other than basic academics. This was a class where they could kick back and relax, and everyone could excel.”

Thirteen years ago, Vicki met David Whitley, a Birmingham native living in Montgomery. From the first day they met, they knew it was a “done deal” and instantly found a mutual simpatico. David quickly won her heart with his sense of humor. “I always tell him that I fell in love with him because of his 7th grade sense of humor,” Vicki laughs. 

Their first date at Vicki’s parents’ cabin on Smith Lake included riding jet skis, a pontoon boat ride, and dinner. They also visited David’s sister, who “just so happened” to have a lake house near the cabin. Love bloomed effortlessly. 

But another jarring event would threaten her new relationship—and her life. Five months after meeting David, Vicki suffered a massive heart attack while walking the track at Gamble Park. After driving from Montgomery to Princeton Hospital in Birmingham, where Vicki had been air-lifted, David sprinted to the waiting room and was overcome when he saw over 60 of Vicki’s family, friends and co-workers already there. If David had harbored any reservations of moving to Jasper, those evaporated immediately. 

“He said, ‘I have never seen such an outpouring of love and concern,’ she recalls. 

Vicki and David have now been married 12 years. Since retiring, they purchased a home on Smith Lake, which is a dream come true. The cottage was destined for demolition and they have devoted time and effort to rebuilding. “It’s on a beautiful sloping 310-foot waterfront lot,” Vicki says. “It was in terrible repair. Everyone who looked at it was going to bulldoze it down, but David and my dad could both see a vision. It is now our little piece of paradise.” 

In their spare time, the Whitleys enjoy boating, kayaking, and college football. David attended Auburn while Vicki wears the crimson and white, but each supports and cheers for the other’s team. 

They also travel every year with a core group of friends, spearheaded by Gina Scruggs, and including several former Jasper City School teachers and their spouses. The group has taken an Alaskan cruise, an Eastern Caribbean cruise, and has visited the cities of San Francisco, New York, and Chicago. Vicki and David’s most memorable trip was a 2018 voyage to the Canadian Rockies, which included Banff, Lake Louise, and an overnight train ride to Victoria, Canada, with David’s sister and her husband. “It was a trip that we’ll never forget,” Vicki says. “The scenery was fabulous… snow-covered mountains… and the air is so crisp and clear.”

Although storms in her life have seemed unbearable at times, Vicki has weathered each one and survived. Her strength, she says, comes not from her willpower, but from her faith in Jesus Christ. “He has guided me through some extremely difficult times,” she says. “I have also been the mom to a son who has experienced struggles. Surviving and thriving through a ‘killer’ heart attack, meeting and marrying the love of my life, and an extremely supportive and loving family and friends are a few of the things that I am most thankful for. I live with a deeper appreciation for the goodness of God. He is my peace and joy!” 78