Chesnut, William
CHESNUT, William Johnathan "Bill"
William Johnathan (Bill) Chesnut was residing in the Phoenix at Milton assisted living community when he passed October 24, 2020. Bill was born to Jo Abernathy Chesnut and Elywn Milton Chesnut on January 10, 1928. Dr. Bob McWhorter of Gaylesville, Alabama. He said, "We have another hard headed Chesnut." He attended grade school and high school in Gadsden, Alabama. He graduated from high school at Marion Military Institute and joined the army in 1946. Upon his discharge in 1948, Bill entered the University of Alabama. In 1952, he received his B.S. Degree in Business Administration. He was recalled to active duty and sent to Germany and honorably discharged in 1954. Bill joined the Prudential as a mortgage loan trainee in the Mid South Mortgage Loan office in 1954. During his 37 years with Prudential, he was a mortgage appraiser in Mobile, Birmingham, and Nashville. He was General Manager there until 1982. Then he was asked to serve on a rotational investment committee in Prudential's home office in Newark, New Jersey. After 19 months there he was promoted to Vice President of Real Estate Finance Southeastern Region and moved to Atlanta. In Atlanta he was responsible for developing new mortgage loan business. To do this he was instructed to institute two pilot programs, a small loan lending program and senior housing. Pry-Express for a small loans was very successful. After finding senior living was a very fluid market that program was discontinued. He was predeceased by his parents, maternal grandparents, James Abernathy and Barbara Millican Abernathy, paternal grandparents, Elwyn Johnathan Chesnut, Myrtle Allgood Chesnut and one sister, Jo Ann Chesnut. He is survived by his wife, Janis Glenn Chesnut. They met in 1948 and stayed in touch. He was on his last assignment and the Pentagon sent him to Fort Jackson, SC. Janis was in Columbia finishing her last year at the University of South Carolina. They married in 1955. This August 20, 2020 marked their 65th anniversary under quarantine with him wearing a mask. Bill is also survived by a daughter, Janis Chesnut Melvin (Keith) and a granddaughter, Holly Ann Melvin. He took great pride in all of their activities. He was a very dependable chauffeur for both. Jan rode with her dad to school every day. He picked Holly up after school everyday until she could drive. Holly got to share his love for doughnuts as an after school snack. Some people dream of having a prince in their lives. Janis, Jan and Holly were blessed to have Bill Chesnut as their prince. Besides being chauffeur and working for Prudential, he followed the lead of grandfather Abernathy and became a member of the Masonic Lodge in Forney, AL. He served on the finance committee while attending Crievewood Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee and served on the board of New Horizon, a class for the disabled. He was affiliated with NORAD (North America's Radar Air Defense) in the 1970's in Atlanta once again he served on the Finance Committee at St. James United Methodist Church. He and a good friend Jack Hutchinson enjoyed meetings of the Civil War Round Table. At the University of Alabama he was a Delta Chi fraternity member and V.P. of the Pilot Program. His high school yearbook stated he was most likely to succeed and succeed he did. His family wishes to thank everyone working at Phoenix for the love and care Bill and all his family received. Pauline Thomas made him feel very special. Our neighbors Janet and Carlos Olivia have been our Guardian Angels. Funeral services will be held at 11 AM, in Roswell Funeral Home, 950 Mansell Rd., Roswell, GA 30076, on October 28, 2020. Interment will be in Gadsden, Alabama Forrest Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, send donations to St. James United Methodist Church, 4400 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd., Atlanta, GA 30342.
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Funeral Home Information
Roswell Funeral Home
950 Mansell Road
Roswell, GA
30076
