When Nevoline Cowan was the dean of girls at Turkey Creek High School, it was a guarantee that students would stay on the right path.
The stern but widely loved educator died on Tuesday, June 23, in Evansville, Indiana at the age of 99. She would have been 100 on Dec. 5, 2015.
Ms. Cowan was a school teacher and administrator for 53 years. Originally from Kentucky, she moved to Florida in 1943 and began teaching business classes at Turkey Creek High School, now Turkey Creek Middle School, in 1952. Four years later, she became the school’s bookkeeper and the dean of girls.
After retiring in 1966, Ms. Cowan relocated to Winter Haven, where she lived until January 2015.
Although she never married, she considered all of her students to be her kids. Despite her strict ways, her students and coworkers frequently looked to her for guidance.
Pat Gibson Ballard graduated the same year Ms. Cowan retired, in 1966. Though she never had Ms. Cowan as a teacher, Ballard remembers her tough but fair discipline that kept all students on their toes.
“She was a really great, nice lady,” Ballard said. “She knew the rules. She was very strict. Fair, but very strict.”
Ballard, luckily, was never sent to Ms. Cowan’s office. Students who acted up were punished with a visit to the dean and a phone call to parents. Ms. Cowan looked after the girls who got in trouble and worked with them so that they could stay on the right path, but not without consequences for their bad behavior.
“She put up with no nonsense,” Ballard said. “Young ladies were expected to act like young ladies.”
Ms. Cowan’s niece, Claire Hubbard, is a retired teacher in Evansville, Indiana. Hubbard and her aunt were separated by distance for most of their adult lives, but the two always stayed in touch.
“She was always interested in what I was doing,” Hubbard, who considered Ms. Cowan her mentor, said. “She just kind of took me under her wing.”
Hubbard’s mother, Vaneria Farmer, was one of Ms. Cowan’s older sisters, along with Elsie Fox. All three women lived to be in their 90s, and all three remained close. When not visiting, Ms. Cowan frequently wrote letters to her family members and visited them almost every summer in Kentucky before she got older.
Ms. Cowan’s independence was part of her character. She had no family in Florida but was always self-sufficient, Hubbard said.
“She was very good at taking care of herself,” Hubbard said. “She was intelligent. Exceptional, really.”
Ms. Cowan was also a great storyteller, always making her relatives laugh with tales of her childhood.
“She was just a special person and the family loved her,” Hubbard said. “I just felt real special because she made me feel that way.”
Her students felt that way, too. Although Ms. Cowan may have come across as intimidating to some, especially with her conservative dress and neat bun at the back of her head, she always had the students’ best interests at heart. The 1966 Turkey Creek High School yearbook was dedicated to her. Even after her retirement, she attended a few Turkey Creek High School reunions, where she was welcomed by her former students.
“She wanted everybody to succeed,” Ballard said. “She wanted everyone to do well.”
Ray Clyburn attended Turkey Creek High School from 1948 to 1950 and later came back to work as a teacher and a counselor in 1958, working alongside Ms. Cowan.
“She was very firm, but had a lot of good common sense,” Clyburn said.
Ms. Cowan was also considerate of her students and colleagues. As the dean of girls, she was responsible for scheduling, and made sure to apologize to teachers when she had to add an extra student to an already full class.
Ms. Cowan was respected by everyone, and was cooperative with problem solving.
James Jones began teaching at Turkey Creek High School in 1953, and also worked as a guidance counselor. He considered Ms. Cowan to be a close friend.
“She was just outstanding,” Jones said. “She was very sociable, and she was always a pleasant person to be around. I couldn’t say enough good things about her.”
After leaving Turkey Creek High School in 1961, Jones continued to stay in contact with Ms. Cowan, and continued to look up to her as a role model.
“She was a no-nonsense person,” Jones said. “I cherish the memories I have. She lived a good life.”
“You didn’t want to be on her bad side, but she is remembered very fondly,” Ballard said. “She’s going to be missed.”
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.