Deanie (Phail-Dean Copeland) Chastain
Feb. 11, 1919-Nov. 3, 2016

Deanie Chastain of Waco passed away Nov. 3, 2016. Funeral service will be at 11am Nov.7 at First United Methodist Church, Waco, Tx, with Rev. Steve Ramsdell officiating. Visitation with the family will be from 3-5pm Sun. Nov. 6 at Oakcrest Funeral Home. Internment will be at 2pm Nov. 8 in Fairview Cemetery at Grosvenor, Tx. Procession will leave Davis Morris Funeral Home, Brownwood, Tx at 1pm.

Mrs. Chastain was born Feb. 11, 1919 in Wills Point, Tx, to Dr. A. Reilly and Eunice Tooley Copeland. The family moved to Waco in 1923 where Dr. Copeland became pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church for 33 years. Deanie attended Waco public schools, graduating from Waco High in 1935. She worked her way through Baylor University receiving her her BBA degree in 1939. At Baylor she was a member of the Business Club, Beta Sigma Chi, the Women's Athletic Assoc. and was a charter member of the Athenian Club. She did graduate work at Texas Tech and Baylor. Deanie double majored in Business and Education and minored in P.E. She walked to all of her schools, Bell's Hill Elementary, South Junior High, Waco High and also Baylor. In inclement weather she rode the streetcar and later the bus.

In 1940 Deanie married Maurice M. Chastain, son of Homer H. and Dora Baugh Chastain of Brownwood. The wedding was performed by her father in the Church Parsonage on Clay Ave. In 1943 Maurice was a Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and became a father when Maurie Dean was born 3 months after he left for 3 year duty in the European Theater. Then in 1946, Maurice and Deanie had their second child, Gerrie Ann (Jan). Byron Alan was born in 1951 while Maurice was Post Exchange Officer at James Connaly Air Force Base during the Korean Conflict.

Before World War II, Deanie was the High School Coach of Girls' Athletics and Maurice was the High School Coach of Boys' Athletics in Los Fresnos in the Rio Grande Valley. Both teams won many trophies in all the sports. Later, Deanie taught Elementary Math, Junior High Math and P.E. She also taught Math at El Centro College in Dallas. Her teaching career was in Los Fresnos, Temple, Waco and Dallas. In her middle years, she was a Sunday School teacher and a Brownie Leader with the Girl Scouts.

At 12 years of age, Deanie took a 6 week sewing course and made her first dress. She made her own clothes for the rest of her life. She made clothes for her daughters and also for special occasions for friends for graduations and weddings. In each of their many homes, she did the interior decorating.

After Maurice and Deanie retired from their careers in Dallas, as a Social Security Administrator and teacher, respectively, they moved to Brownwood where they owned a Hereford Cattle ranch. While Maurice ran the ranch, Deanie studied under 4 different art instructors for 15 years. She learned to oil paint, water color paint, do Echruceous painting and many various crafts. She was an avid gardener at their home in Brownwood and also in the little park across the street.

Mrs. Chastain's 27 years of volunteer service were in Brownwood Regional Hospital and Waco Providence Hospital. In both cities she was known as "The Hat Lady" because she always wore a hat and gloves. She was called "the Bread Lady" as she often baked various kinds of bread for everyone.

In 2000, Mrs. Chastain wrote a second book, a pictorial one with a full page of pictures opposite the printed page, about her mother's amusing autobiography. It included comments about her from friends and relatives.

In 2002, Maurice died.

In 2008, she had a neck injury which caused an inability for her to turn her head when driving. So, she sold her car and depended on friends and relatives to take her where ever she needed to go.

In 2011, she moved to Ridgecrest Retirement Center. She depended on her walker to keep her balance.

In 2012, she won a Senior Pageant Contest in which she was crowned "Mrs. Senior Heart of Texas." Later, that same year Deanie had a bad fall and broke her neck. Because it did not completely heal, she had to wear a cervical collar the rest of her life.

In the Ridgecrest 2014 Beauty Pageant, Deanie was 1st runner up. Then in the 2015 Pageant, she won 1st place and was crowned "Mrs. Ridgecrest 2015."

Mrs. Chastain was a member of First United Methodist Church and the Wesley Workers Chapel Class, the Newcomers & Neighbors Club, Red Hatters of Central Texas, Hidden Angels and the Art Guild of Central Texas.

Her Motto:
1. Live Right
2. Eat Right
3. Exercise Everyday
4. Stay Active
Living her motto helped her to live a long life.

She is survived by her son, Byron Alan Chastain of Austin, and two daughters; Maurie James and husband, Charles of Burleson, Jan Burgess and husband, Bob of Georgetown. Also, five grandchildren: David James and wife, Kathy of Burleson, Charlene Masch of Irving, Cameron Freeman and wife, Julie of Round Rock, Dr. Robert Burgess of Houston, Stuart Freeman and wife, Emily of Austin. Eight great-grandchildren: Jon Allen and wife, Aubry of Grandbury, Mandi Allen of Burleson, Sydney and Harrison James of Keller, Reilly and Taylor Masch of Irving, Ella and Alex Freeman of Round Rock and one great-great grandchild: Kennadi Lee Gilbreath of Burleson and numerous nieces and nephews.

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