Grayson County TXGenWeb

John Cheatham was born at home on the family farm in Tioga on December 13, 1947, son of Ruth and Hulin P. Cheatham. He left this life in the afternoon of December 14, 2020 after a brief battle with non-Covid related pneumonia.
He is survive by his wife, Beverly, who was his high school sweetheart and the love of his life. They married on September 16, 1967 and recently celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary. John is survived by his children, Craig (Kathi); Amy (Mark Krodel) and Casey; and his grandchildren, Tyler and Madison Cheatham; Harrison (aka Big Boy); and Landrey Krodel and Aidan, Colton, Dawson and Ava Cheatham; his brother, Perry; and sisters, Jan Lynch, Frankye Jones, and Myrt Vannoy (James); and his mother-in-law, Rebecca Cole.
John went to work for Southwestern Bell on August 8, 1966, 3 months after his high school graduation and spent his career with the phone company, He was a dedicated technician for AT&T at Texas Instruments for 18 years and then for Lucent for 5 years before taking an early retirement package. He then went to work for Exponents where he spent 4 years before retiring for good and beginning his retirement career as a champion cross word and sudoku puzzle solver.
John and Beverly moved to Allen in 1978 to raise their family in a small town. John was active in hid kids' activities when they were young, serving as an Indian Guide and Indian Princess Leader and Allen Sports Association youth sports coach. In his youth, John was an athlete who excelled at playing basketball and baseball in high school and baseball as an adult. He was proud that his children and grandchildren followed in his athletic footsteps. Along with coaching his kids when they were young, he coached his wife, Beverly, for several years when she was a member of the Gold Rushers, an adult women's soccer team.
In his retirement years, John enjoyed gardening and kept the family stocked up with all the tomatoes, okra, squash, black-eyed peas and peppers they could eat. He also enjoyed riding ATVs on trips with his family and friends to Broken Bow, Oklahoma and Mena, Arkansas, hosting his and Beverly's annual New Year's Eve parties, playing and always winning at 42 and spending time with his kids and grandkids. He and Beverly enjoyed traveling to Las Vegas several times a year with family and friends where he rarely gambled but went along to say, "it's time to cash out, Bev!"
Graveside services were held Tuesday morning, December 22, 2020 at the Oakwood Cemetery in Whitesboro. Masks are required.