Mrs. Rhea Jo Crowley Lightener, age 87 years, formerly from Alma, Georgia, passed from this life peacefully and gracefully on Thursday, April 23, 2026.

Mrs. Lightener was born on August 24, 1938, in Bacon County to Joseph Asa and Effie Mae Bland Crowley. A graduate of Bacon County High School, she attended Martha Berry College where she received a BS in Business Education, and a Masters Degree in Marketing from Central Florida University. Mrs. Lightener taught Marketing at Cocoa High School in Cocoa, Florida. She was Florida's State Teacher of the Year for two years when two of her students achieved STAR STUDENT of the year in Marketing at Cocoa High School.

Mrs. Lightener was married to Robert W. Lightener. She had three children, two grandchildren, and one great-grandson. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Robert L. Lightener, her brother Ronald H Crowley, an infant daughter, Pamela, a son Robert Mark Lightner, and granddaughter Lindsey Nicole Lightner. She is survived by her daughter Amelia Lightener, granddaughter Hannah Lightener, great-grandson Jaiden Davis Reynolds, and brother Mitchell A. Crowley.

Mrs. Rhea loved her family and friends greatly and loved to write and document family history.

A Going Home celebration of her life will be held on May 9, 2026 at Crosby Funeral Home in Alma, Georgia at 1:30pm, followed by a brief graveside service at Douglas Chapel Church in Alma, Georgia,