Obituary for Billie Bea Heltz (Kennedy)
Billie Bea “Dee Dee”Heltz, 83, passed away peacefully in her sleep on the morning ofTuesday, November 8, 2022, at Morning Pointe Assisted Living in Athens, TN. Billie Bea was a lifelong resident of Athens.
Growing up, Billie Bea happily performed the not-so-glamorous chores of grooming, feeding the horses, cleaning their stalls, and doing the same for her father’s prized pointers/birddogs. She was a 1956 graduate of McMinn County High School, continued her education at Tennessee Wesleyan College where she was a member of Sigma Kappa Sorority and graduated in 1960 with a B.S. degree in Library Science.
Her entire professional career was spent as a public-school librarian, initially at Sweetwater High School, but mostly at McMinn County High School in Athens, where she met the Latin teacher, Dean Heltz, who became the love of her life. Inasmuch as Billie and Dean had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and adventure, they traversed this country whether on their own to Oxford, Mississippi for Ole Miss football games, the annual William Faulkner Yoknapatawpha Conference, Greek Festival in Knoxville and just about every other locale having some sort of “festival,” or with locallyorganized travel groups. With a seemingly inexhaustible need to be on the move, Billie took advantage of any ‘down time’ by perfecting the art of knitting that includes a portfolio of multiple hundredsof Christmas stockings. She also found time to engage in service to her community as a volunteer with the Tri County Center for the Developmentally Disabled, a charter member of the NocatulaCivitan club, member of the Decatur Civitan club, McMinn County Retired Teachers Association, and advocate/supporterof the McMinn Regional Humane Society. She was a life-long member of Trinity United Methodist Church and taught the Loyal Matrons Sunday school class there for decades.
Billie Bea was preceded in death by her loving husband of 46 years, Jerome Dean Heltz, parentsWilliam Otto Kennedy and Myrtle Ida Keirn-Kennedy, sisterMildred Kennedy-Adams and nephew William Joe Adams.
She is survived by a large and loving family, including Nieces Donna Adams-Cagle (Bob), Athens, Brenda Adams, Cleveland, and Nephew Thomas “Buck” Adams (Larry Vincent), Knoxville; Great nieces Heidi Ables (Mike Lucas), Casey Idol (David), Jody Adams, Holly Marion (Ernest); Great nephews Bo Cagle (Jennifer), and Travis Adams (Elizabeth); Great-great nieces and nephews Cy Ables (Kristen), Zeb and Zak Idol, Ace and Cruz Cagle, William and Thomas Jarvis, Bradley, Bryson, Madison, McKenzie and Zachary Marion, Hank, Ellen and James Adams, and Great-great-great nephew Dash Ables.
Visitation with the family will commence at Noon, followed by a brief memorial service officiated by Dr. Mike Frazierat 1:00 p.m.Saturday, November 19, 2022at Smith Funeral Home, 1010 S. White St., Athens, TN. All are invited. In-lieu-of flowers, memorials may be offered to the McMinn County High School Athletic Performance Center, http://mscdonate.com/home.html or McMinn Regional Humane Society, http://mrhumane.org. Smith Funeral & Cremation Services of Athens is charged with the arrangements.
The family offers special thanks to Hospice of Chattanooga, Morning Pointe Assisted Living of Athens, and Ashley’s Southern Hospitality, LLC for the tender loving comfort and care given to Billie Bea.
Condolences and special comments for or about the deceased can be made at www.smithfuneralandcremationservicesofathens.com.
Growing up, Billie Bea happily performed the not-so-glamorous chores of grooming, feeding the horses, cleaning their stalls, and doing the same for her father’s prized pointers/birddogs. She was a 1956 graduate of McMinn County High School, continued her education at Tennessee Wesleyan College where she was a member of Sigma Kappa Sorority and graduated in 1960 with a B.S. degree in Library Science.
Her entire professional career was spent as a public-school librarian, initially at Sweetwater High School, but mostly at McMinn County High School in Athens, where she met the Latin teacher, Dean Heltz, who became the love of her life. Inasmuch as Billie and Dean had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and adventure, they traversed this country whether on their own to Oxford, Mississippi for Ole Miss football games, the annual William Faulkner Yoknapatawpha Conference, Greek Festival in Knoxville and just about every other locale having some sort of “festival,” or with locallyorganized travel groups. With a seemingly inexhaustible need to be on the move, Billie took advantage of any ‘down time’ by perfecting the art of knitting that includes a portfolio of multiple hundredsof Christmas stockings. She also found time to engage in service to her community as a volunteer with the Tri County Center for the Developmentally Disabled, a charter member of the NocatulaCivitan club, member of the Decatur Civitan club, McMinn County Retired Teachers Association, and advocate/supporterof the McMinn Regional Humane Society. She was a life-long member of Trinity United Methodist Church and taught the Loyal Matrons Sunday school class there for decades.
Billie Bea was preceded in death by her loving husband of 46 years, Jerome Dean Heltz, parentsWilliam Otto Kennedy and Myrtle Ida Keirn-Kennedy, sisterMildred Kennedy-Adams and nephew William Joe Adams.
She is survived by a large and loving family, including Nieces Donna Adams-Cagle (Bob), Athens, Brenda Adams, Cleveland, and Nephew Thomas “Buck” Adams (Larry Vincent), Knoxville; Great nieces Heidi Ables (Mike Lucas), Casey Idol (David), Jody Adams, Holly Marion (Ernest); Great nephews Bo Cagle (Jennifer), and Travis Adams (Elizabeth); Great-great nieces and nephews Cy Ables (Kristen), Zeb and Zak Idol, Ace and Cruz Cagle, William and Thomas Jarvis, Bradley, Bryson, Madison, McKenzie and Zachary Marion, Hank, Ellen and James Adams, and Great-great-great nephew Dash Ables.
Visitation with the family will commence at Noon, followed by a brief memorial service officiated by Dr. Mike Frazierat 1:00 p.m.Saturday, November 19, 2022at Smith Funeral Home, 1010 S. White St., Athens, TN. All are invited. In-lieu-of flowers, memorials may be offered to the McMinn County High School Athletic Performance Center, http://mscdonate.com/home.html or McMinn Regional Humane Society, http://mrhumane.org. Smith Funeral & Cremation Services of Athens is charged with the arrangements.
The family offers special thanks to Hospice of Chattanooga, Morning Pointe Assisted Living of Athens, and Ashley’s Southern Hospitality, LLC for the tender loving comfort and care given to Billie Bea.
Condolences and special comments for or about the deceased can be made at www.smithfuneralandcremationservicesofathens.com.