Jack Cheatham

SERVICES:  SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 20113:00 P. M.MCCLAIN-HAYS CHAPELVISITATION:  FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 20114:00 - 8:00 P. M. AND ONSATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 20111:00 - 7:00 P. M. INTERMENT:  CEDARLAWN CEMETERY WITH MASONIC RITESOFFICIATING:  REV. FRED BRITTONREV. LAVELLE WOODRICK Jack Cheatham, former educator, passed away Wednesday, September 14, 2011.  He was a native of the Deemer community.  Mr. Cheatham attended Ole Miss where he played football.  After graduation, he worked as a coach and science teacher in the Quitman school system.  He also taught and coached in the Philadelphia schools.  Mr. Cheatham was a former Superintendent of Education for the Neshoba County schools.  He was superintendent when the individual schools were unified into one central school.  He was superintendent of Rosedale schools in the early sixties and while there his son, Rickie was killed.  After that, he returned to Ole Miss for postgraduate work.  Later he went to Raleigh, MS as Superintendent of Education.  In the seventies, he worked for the State Department of Education as a Title One Coordinator.  During this time he and his family lived in Oxford, MS.  He then took a job as superintendent of Houston, MS schools.  After retirement, he and his wife returned to Philadelphia, MS to live.  He was a 50 plus year member of the Philadelphia Masonic Lodge.   Mr. Cheatham was preceded in death by his father, Richard Cheatham; mother, Alberta Cheatham; sisters, Mozelle Heen, Patsy Carter, and Bonnie Lynch; brothers, Bennie Cheatham, Willard Cheatham, and Norman Cheatham; son, Rickie Cheatham; and wife, Louise Cheatham. He is survived by his son, Gregory Mark Cheatham of Philadelphia; daughter, Darlene (Doll) Cheatham of Philadelphia; grandson, Edward Cheatham of Atlanta, GA; brother, Bobbie Cheatham of Philadelphia; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.Serving as pallbearers:  Edward Cheatham, William Adkins, Greg Cheatham, Richard Heen, David Turk and Kirk Green.