YULEE, Fla. – They call her "Amazing Grace" and it’s easy to see why.
Grace Conway died Thursday, just one day shy of her 91st birthday.
Loved ones gathered Monday to celebrate Conway's life at Yulee Baptist Church, the church she attended and taught Sunday school for 38 years.
Conway retired three times, but just couldn’t stay still. She worked the last 11 years as a crossing guard at Nassau County schools. She started in 2008 at two elementary schools in Fernandina Beach and was transferred to Yulee Middle School in 2016.
Conway’s supervisor, Lt. Renee Graham, with the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, said Conway was her favorite.
“She was a very determined person. She was not one to ever give up. She didn’t know how to slow down, and it frustrated her if she ever had to slow down just for a little bit and would want to push forward and come back,” said Graham.
Graham spoke at Conway’s funeral, ending her eulogy by saying, “Your home going has left a vacant position on the Sheriff’s Office roster, but we will never fill your shoes.”
Graham admitted it took a little while for Conway to get through to the middle schoolers, but soon they embraced her, surprising her on her 90th birthday with a celebration.
“Everybody that was around her knew that she loved them and that was something that you could always count on. You could count on her to say, ‘I love you,’ and to give a hug,” Graham said.
Those who loved Grace say her strength came from her faith in God’s grace, and they believe she’s now crossing streets made of gold.