William Jewel Chastain

William Jewel Chastain was born May 08, 1928 in Lincoln, Lancaster Co., NE to Jewel Chastain and the former Nina Bernice Peters. Most of his school years were spent in Lincoln with the exception of a short time when the family moved to Richmond, CA to help with the war effort. At age 16, he was classified as an engineer at the Kiser Shipyards. Bill graduated from Lincoln High School in May 1946 and immediately signed up in the U. S. Army where he served in Adak, AK. On June 7, 1953, he married the former Virginia Doudney. Upon graduating from Nebraska State Trade School in Milford, where he studied refrigeration, the couple moved to Houston, TX in 1957. His work career included American Bakeries and Carnation Creameries, and then The Coca-Cola Company from which he retired. They were blessed with two children: Philip born in 1957 and Lesli in 1963. Both children have made their parents proud. Philip and his wife Janice have two daughters. Lesli is married to Troy, a career member of the U. S. Coast Guard. Bill’s interests included the safety and security of his Houston neighborhood, where he acted as the coordinator for the Garden Oaks COP (Citizens on Patrol) sponsored by the Garden Oaks Civic Club; his home serving as a base station for patrollers. In addition, he was the 1995 co-chair for the North Shepherd PIP (Positive Interaction Program) which sought to promote better relations between law enforcement and the public. He readily volunteered on many occasions to work in the Houston Police Department training program for Citizen’s Police Academy graduating from that organization. His favorite part of the latter was the “shoot, don’t shoot” training as well as the police ride-alongs, hostage negotiations, bomb squad, pursuit, plus other activities that allowed him many hours to work directly with the officers to make Houston a better and safer place to live and work. Upon retirement and relocation to Huntsville, he also graduated from the Citizen’s Police Academy. Another active interest was genealogy and he traced his family to their arrival in the “New World” in 1600. Bill was a past president of the Pierre Chastain Family Organization and sponsored the group’s reunion in Houston in 1996. During their nearly 64 years of marriage, Bill and Jinny enjoyed traveling and took many fun trips … twice to Alaska, Hawaii, Eastern Europe besides many areas of the U. S. In fact, they were in Scotland when the Twin Towers were hit on September 11, 2001. Bill lived a full and happy life as a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend. Full obituary may be viewed and memorial condolences made to the family at www.shmfh.com.

William Jewel Chastain

May 8, 1928 - May 18, 2017