Flo Stark

Flo Ellen Rosier Stark, 87, of Silsbee, died Sunday, October 27, 2019, at Harbor Hospice, Beaumont. She was born on January 24, 1932, in Beaumont, to Edith Trahan Rosier and Ogden “Blackie” Rosier.    

A native of Beaumont, Mrs. Stark had lived in Silsbee since 1951, except for two years when she and her family lived in Mersin, Turkey, where her husband was employed by Mobil Oil Corporation.

She was a 1948 graduate of Lafayette High School in Lafayette, Louisiana, and left there immediately afterward to return to Texas to attend Texas State College for Women, now Texas Woman’s University, in Denton. There she received her Bachelor of Science Degree in journalism in two and a half years. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Mu, Athenaeum Club, Aquatics Club, Southeast Texas Club, and Tessie Players Theater Group. During her junior year she was selected to serve on the college board of Mademoiselle Magazine, a leading woman’s fashion magazine, when an article she submitted to the publication was chosen in a nationwide contest. As a journalism major, she worked on the college newspaper, The Daily Lass-O, as a reporter and photographer. She was the business manager of the paper during the summer of 1950 and in her senior year was one of the daily editors of the Lass-O which won All-American rating among the ten top college daily newspapers in America during that time. After graduating, she was employed by the Big Spring Daily Herald in Big Spring, Texas.

Mrs. Stark did her post-graduate studies at Lamar University in Beaumont. She received a master’s degree in Special Education in 1973 and a master’s degree in School Administration in 1980. Her certifications include professional elementary and secondary teacher, certification to work with physically handicapped and mentally challenged children, supervision, administrator, mid-management, and superintendent certification.

Mrs. Stark retired from Silsbee Independent School District after thirty-one years of service. She was a classroom teacher before she became a remedial reading teacher in the federally funded E.S.E.A. Title I program which provided extra help in reading and math for students who needed it. In January 1974, she became the director of Federal and State Compensatory Education Programs. Besides overseeing these programs, she wrote grants to obtain federal funds under Title II and Title IV programs which provided audio-visual equipment, library books, and other materials for the school district. By using federal and state funds, she purchased the first computers to be placed in classrooms and computer labs in the school district. During this time, the districts first Parent Advisory Committee was established by the Title I program, as well as a parent resource center where parents could meet and make learning materials for their children. This center was used as an example by several other school districts in East Texas.

From 1983 till 1986, Director of Special education was added to her duties. During that time, with federal and state special education funds, Mrs. Stark purchased the districts first school bus with a wheelchair lift to transport students with special needs to Silsbee and Beaumont schools where their educational needs could be better met. She was also instrumental in purchasing a radio base station, which was installed at the district’s transportation center, so help could be summoned immediately in case of an emergency on the bus.

In 1991, after her retirement, Mrs. Stark was awarded a certificate of appreciation by the United States Department of Education for twenty-five years of serviced to Title I children.

Professional organizations to which she belonged during her career were, Texas State Teachers Association, International Reading Association, Texas State International Reading Association, Southeast Texas Council of International Reading Association, which was recognized as a blue ribbon chapter during her presidency, Texas Association for the Improvement of Reading, Texas Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Region V Curriculum Council, Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association, Sabine-Neches Area Association for School Board Members and Administrators, Association for Compensatory Education of Texas, National Association of Administrators of State and Federal Education Programs and was one of five representatives from Texas who attended the national conference of the organization in Washington, D.C. in 1987, Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education, and was on the board of directors of Partners Resource Network, Inc. in Beaumont which was an information network for parents of special needs children.

She was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Silsbee, was a chancel choir member, Sunday school teacher in the Victory Class, formerly a member of Silsbee Literary Club, Silsbee Little Theater, Big Thicket Association, Hardin County Historical Commission, Friends of the Library, Hardin County Genealogical Society, Lamar University Alumni Association, Texas Woman’s University Alumni Association, and Hardin County Retired Teachers Association.

Survivors include her husband, Carl M. Stark, Sr.; son, C. Max Stark, Jr. and his wife, Ann, of Deer Park; daughter, Valerie Stark of Silsbee; grandchildren, Stephen Stark of Deer Park; Coral Nayman of Conroe; Lee Ann Bennet and her husband, Steve, of Ewa Beach, Ohau, Hawaii; and Heather Judkins and her husband, Chris, of Pensacola, Florida; great-grandchildren, Justin and Aubrey Bennet, Brianna Dodgen, and Aiden Judkins; great-great-grandchildren, Emily and Sarah; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A gathering of Mrs. Stark’s family and friends will be 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., Friday, November 1, 2019, at Broussard’s, 490 Cemetery Road, Silsbee. Her funeral service will be 10:00 a.m., Saturday, November 2, 2019, at First United Methodist Church, 670 North 5th Street, Silsbee, with her interment to follow at Resthaven Cemetery, Silsbee.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Christian Care Center, P.O. Box 2050, Silsbee, Texas 77656 or First United Methodist Church, 670 North 5th Street, Silsbee, Texas 77656.