Tennessee Valley obituaries for Feb. 1: Betty Jo Chesak was leader in Officers Wives Club at Redstone

Betty Jo Chesak, who died Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015, had the military in her blood long before her active involvement with the Officers Wives Club at Redstone Arsenal.

Betty Jo Chesak

She was born in in Ft. Bragg, N.C. into a military family and lived in Oklahoma, California, Japan and graduated high school in El Paso, Texas in 1950. After marrying 2nd Lt. Kenneth Chesak, the couple moved to Louisiana, and she began her her 30-year career as an army wife.

While stationed in the Washington D.C. area, Chesak worked as office manager for Weight Watchers. After being transferred to Redstone Arsenal in 1976, she became active in the Officers Wives Club and served one year as president. She also was active in all levels of garden club including the local Redstone Arsenal Garden Club up to the State Garden Club. Among the numerous positions she held, Chesak was secretary for one year with the Garden Clubs of Alabama. She was program chairman for the state garden club for eight years. Betty found time to volunteer at Meals on Wheels, Good Shepherd Church, and the Red Cross. She worked with the Red Cross at Fox Army Medical Center and on their Bloodmobile.

The funeral will be at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Huntsville on Thursday, with visitation at 10 a.m. Mass is at 11 a.m., inurnment at the columbarium following the mass, and then a luncheon in the Parish Hall. Laughlin Funeral Home is directing.

Read the weekly Huntsville Times life stories here.

Glenn Adkins, 66, of Guild, Tenn. died Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015. Visitation is Sunday from  5 to 9 p.m. at Rudder Funeral Home in Bridgeport. Funeral is Monday at 2 p.m.

Wilma Andrews, 93, of Harvest died Thursday, January 29, 2015. Visitation is Monday from noon to 2 p.m. Funeral follows at 2. Burial is in Huntsville Memory Gardens, Ardmore Chapel Funeral Home in directing.

Gordon Grayson "Pete" Atchley Sr., 83, of Huntsville, died Friday, Jan. 30, 2015.  A graveside service will be held on Monday at 2 p.m. at Shiloh UMC Cemetery.The family will receive friends on Monday from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home of Huntsville.

June Ellen Rice Bacon, 79, passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015. A celebration of life service will be at 1 p.m. on Friday, at the Royal Chapel of Memories.

The funeral for Willis John Branton, Sr., 87, of Huntsville, will be Sunday at 3 p.m. at McConnell Funeral Home. Visitation was Saturday. Burial will be in Athens City Cemetery. Branton died Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015, at Tut Fann State Veterans Home.

Virginia Odell (Sanders) Broadbent, 90, formerly of Huntsville, died Friday, Jan. 30, 2015, just a few days shy of her 91st birthday. The family will receive friends at Spry Funeral home of Huntsville on Monday, from 6 until 8 p.m. Funeral will be at the funeral home chapel on Tuesday at 10 a.m. Interment will be at Charity Cemetery in Hazel Green.

Paula Ann Carter, 46, of Athens, died Friday, Jan. 30, 2015. Funeral will be Monday at 2 p.m. at McConnell Funeral Home. Visitation will be Sunday from 6 to 9 p.m. at McConnell. Burial is in Roselawn Cemetery.

Betty Dulaney died Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015. Funeral will be at Scottsboro Funeral Home Chapel on Sunday, at 2 p.m. Burial is in Larkinsville Cemetery.

Dorothy Mae Benson Foutch, died Friday, Jan. 30, 2015. She was 84. Carr Funeral Home in Guntersville will be handling the arrangements.

John T. Gan, 83, of Huntsville passed away Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015. Visitation will be from 9 to 10 a.m. on Monday at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. The funeral mass will follow10.

King. S. Green, died Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015. Funeral will be at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, at New Hopewell M.B. Church. Interment will be in Henson Cemetery. Royal Funeral Home is directing.

Della Griffin, died Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015. Services will be at Scottsboro Funeral Home Chapel on Sunday, at 12:30 pm. Burial is in Town creek Cemetery.

W.C. Hall, died Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015. Services were Saturday, at Scottsboro Funeral Home Chapel with burial in Aspel United Methodist Cemetery.

Mary M. Jordan, died Friday, Jan. 30, 2015. The funeral will be at Morrow First United Methodist Church on Monday. Visitation will be at 10:00 a.m. followed by the service at 11:00. Interment will be immediately following the service at Philadelphia Presbyterian Church Cemetery.

Service for Fred. Manley will be at 2 p.m. on Sunday at Guntersville First Baptist Church. Visitation is from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Church. Burial is at Sardis Baptist Church Cemetery. Arab Heritage Memorial Chapel is directing.

Funeral  for Florence Valentine Davies Moore, 90,a longtime resident of Fayetteville, will be at 3 p.m.  on Tuesday at Higgins Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Rose Hill Cemetery. Mrs. Moore died Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015 at Bailey Manor.

Ricardo Pearson, 50, passed away on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015. See www.valhallafunerals.com for service times and obituary.

Services for Florissa Rodgers will be Sunday at Limestone Chapel Funeral Home at 3 p.m. Visitation is Sunday from 1 to 2:45 p.m. Burial is in Limestone Memorial Gardens.

Grady Selby died Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015. Services will be Sunday, at 2 p.m. from Scottsboro Funeral home Chapel with burial in Pinehaven memorial Gardens.

James F. Smith, 89, died Friday, Jan. 30, 2015. Visitation was Saturday at Laughlin Service Funeral Home. Graveside service was at Huntsville Memory Gardens at 2 p.m.

Jeffrey Scott Smith, 50, of Chattanooga, passed away Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015. The family will receive friends Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. at Berryhill Funeral Home.

Services for Cathy Thrower were Saturday at 2 pm at Hytop Holiness Church with burial in Hytop Cemetery.

Jerry Bryson Tucker, 81, of Huntsville, passed away Friday, Jan. 30, 2015. In lieu of a funeral, he requested that friends spend the time visiting a nursing home, reading to a child, taking friends to lunch, or doing whatever makes someone happy.

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