Mr. Jesse Edgar Sangster

Jesse Edgar Sangster was born on July 10, 1935 in Detroit, Michigan. He was one of five children born to Jesse James Sangster and Mae Beatrice Brown. He accepted Christ at a young age and attended his family church Carter Metropolitan CME Church. He graduated from Northwestern High School and then ventured south to attend Tennessee State University. At TSU, Jesse was a track and field athlete, and a college classmate of Olympian Wilma Rudolph. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Education. He served our country in the U. S. Army and was honorably discharged in 1960. He started his teaching career as a science teacher back home in Detroit. Through his sister Mae Heard also a teacher, he met a teacher at her school named Eileen Minor. She became his loving wife on February 20, 1965. They shared 48 years of marriage together. To this union, three beautiful children were born, Kimberly, Andrea and Carol. Jesse continued his education and earned a Masters of Education from the University of Michigan. Always searching for an opportunity to advance, he was offered a management position with General Motors in Flint, Michigan. He later returned to Detroit, and rose through the executive ranks until he retired in 1978. Jesse had an entrepreneurial spirit. He owned and operated several businesses, including a skating rink and a car wash. But his passion was education. He returned to Detroit Public Schools as an assistant principal. He served in this role at several schools before his promotion to principal of Coleman A. Young Elementary School. He retired in 2003. A life-long Detroiter, Jesse enjoyed the outdoors, boating, fishing and camping. He was a lover of music and the arts. He loved the Blues, Jazz and Reggae music. He enjoyed painting, pottery, sculpting and wood carving. Jesse learned carpentry skills at TSU and renovated many homes in Detroit, including his own. An avid reader, he always had a book nearby. He read literally hundreds of books in his lifetime. Jesse was an international traveler. He traveled to destinations such as China, Denmark, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, South Africa, France, Italy, and various countries throughout the Caribbean. He also ventured across the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska. In his later years, he enjoyed his home in Kingsland, Georgia in the winter months, and spending time with his children and grandchildren.

Mr. Jesse Edgar Sangster

July 10, 1935 - August 28, 2013