Stephanie Hope Waldrop

St. George, Utah – Stephanie Hope Waldrop, age 53, passed away Sunday, December 18, 2022. She was born on September 17, 1969, in Madison, Tennessee, to Bill and Jacky (Turner) Williamson. She married Michael W. Waldrop on February 5, 1994, in Madison, Tennessee.
Hope grew up in Madison, Tennessee, in the Nashville Metro Area. Her life was characterized by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior, from the time she was born again by God’s grace as a young girl. She grew up in Neely’s Bend Baptist Church where her father served as pastor. She attended Madison High School through her junior year, where she played volleyball, softball, and basketball. After graduating from Hunters Lane High School in 1987, she earned a degree in Elementary Education from Belmont University in Nashville in 1991. She taught school in Nashville, and later at South Pontotoc Elementary in Pontotoc, Mississippi, after moving to Randolph, Mississippi, with her husband, Michael, in 1997. While teaching school in Mississippi, she earned a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Mississippi. During her teaching career, she became a National Board-Certified classroom teacher.
She and her husband Michael welcomed three children into their family, each born in Tupelo, Mississippi: Whit (2003), Jack (2006), and Zoe (2010). Hope became a homemaker and homeschool teacher of her children, serving in various roles supporting the pastoral and missions ministries in which Michael served. These included Randolph Baptist Church in Randolph, Mississippi, from 2000 to 2003, Pittsboro First Baptist Church, Pittsboro, Mississippi, from 2003-2006, the Calhoun Baptist Association, with offices in Calhoun City, Mississippi, from 2006 to 2011, and finally a move to St. George, Utah, to plant a church in 2011. While Michael served as the Missions Director for the Calhoun Baptist Association, Hope and Michael were members of Concord Baptist Church in Bruce, Mississippi. Desert Ridge Baptist Church was constituted on March 31, 2013, and from then until she went home to be with the Lord, Hope served in the music, children’s, and women’s ministries there. She was beloved among the DRBC congregation. During her time in St. George, Hope helped start the Classical Conversations homeschool community for the region.
Hope’s Christian faith was central to everything in her life. She was convinced of the truth of Biblical Christianity, and trusted Christ alone for her salvation. Combined with her love of travel and curiosity of other cultures, this led to several mission/ministry trips to help people understand the truth of the gospel of God’s grace in Christ. These included trips to the Dominican Republic and Peru, as well as mission/ministry trips within the US to South Dakota, Oregon, California, Georgia, New Mexico, Delaware, and Kentucky. During her time in Mississippi, she and Michael were involved in a Christian music ministry called Walk by Faith. Hope’s involvement ranged from singing to helping run the sound board. She enjoyed her time in this ministry with Michael, Kevin, and Janet Waldrop (her brother and sister-in-law), and Mark and Betsy Ritchie.
Hiking was a favorite hobby of Hope’s. She loved the beautiful landscape of Southern Utah and spent much of her free time on the trails of Utah and other western states.
Hope is survived by her husband Michael W. Waldrop and children, Whit Waldrop, Jack Waldrop, and Zoe Waldrop all of St. George, Utah. She is also survived by her parents, Bill and Jacky Williamson of Randolph, Mississippi, and her mother-in-law Sammie (Newell) Waldrop of Randolph, Mississippi. She is preceded in death by her father-in-law, Gerald Waldrop of Randolph, Mississippi.
Funeral services will be Friday, December 23, 2022, at 11:00 am at Desert Ridge Baptist Church, located at 326 S. 600 E. in St. George, Utah. The service can be viewed online at the DRBC YouTube channel, which can be found at drbc.us.
Friends may call on Thursday, December 22, 2022, from 5:00 – 8:00 pm at the Spilsbury Mortuary, located at 110 S. Bluff St. in St. George, or prior to the Funeral service on Friday, December 23, 2022, from 9:00 - 10:45 am at Desert Ridge Baptist Church.
Interment will take place in Randolph Cemetery in Randolph, Mississippi, and will be preceded by a Funeral Service at Randolph Baptist Church, Randolph, Mississippi, at a time to be determined.
Special thanks to Debbie Miller and the caregivers of Enhabit Hospice. Their care for Hope in her final days was a blessing to Hope and the Waldrop family.
Arrangements are made under the direction of Spilsbury Mortuary, 110 S. Bluff St., St. George, Utah, (435-673-2454).
Family and friends are invited to leave a memory on Stephanie’s obituary page at www.spilsburymortuary.com