Leila Bess Brownlee Relyea

(June 27, 1925-July 23, 2019)

Bess Brownlee Relyea, 94 years old, died at The Laurels, Athens, OH on Tuesday, July 23, 2019. She was born on June 27, 1925 in Calhoun, GA and was the daughter of the late Leila Strain Durham Brownlee and Carleton Haynes Brownlee.

Bess' beloved husband Harold "Hal" Relyea predeceased her. Her older sister who helped raise her, Tillie Ouida Durham, also predeceased Bess. She is survived by her sister Johnnie C. Brownlee Bakkum, her 3 children, Dale E. (Debbie) Relyea; Dorothy E. Relyea (Larry) Schey; and Douglas C. Relyea; and two granddaughters, Leila E. Schey and Andrea D. Schey.

Bess attended Calhoun High School and was a cheerleader.  She studied two years at Georgia State College for Women (GSCW) and then went on to attend The University of Georgia to earn her Registered Dietician Degree in 1946. She landed her dream job as a Home Economist for the Georgia Power Company in Brunswick, GA. Bess traveled in the area educating people about cooking with electricity, and she had a talk program on the local radio station providing tips about cooking.

Hal and Bess met on St. Simon's Island in January 1951 and they were married Sept. 15, 1951. Bess moved to Hal's hometown Joliet, IL and joined the American Association for University Women (AAUW), the Ottawa St. United Methodist Church, and was a Girl Scout Leader.

After her children left home, Bess earned her insurance license to help run the family's insurance agency. Bess and Hal lived in Joliet until 2000 when they moved to Athens, OH. They joined The Plains United Methodist Church and Bess joined her daughter as a sister in P.E.O., a philanthropic educational organization where she served as the P.E.O. Chapter DD Courtesy Chair.  She volunteered with the Athens County American Red Cross and the United Methodist Women.  At The Laurels she attended the Romans Road Independent Church.

Bess never met a stranger and enjoyed learning about whomever she met.  She was unselfish, always putting others needs ahead of her own. Her warm smile was contagious and she brightened the lives of all with whom she came in contact. She was a gentle, kind Southern Lady through and through and many who loved her miss her.

Her family and faith were paramount and she loved food, happy music, Georgia, and humor.

A celebration of life service will be held November 23, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at The Plains United Methodist Church, The Plains, Ohio with Rev. David Roach officiating. Arrangements are with Jagers & Sons Funeral Home, Athens.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Bess B. Relyea's name to The Plains United Methodist Church, 3 North Plains Rd, The Plains, OH 45780; or online http://theplainsumc.com or to P.E.O. Chapter DD/OH Program for Continuing Education (PCE), a need based grant for women who wish to go back to school following a break in their education. Checks may be made payable to "P.E.O. Chapter DD/OH" and mailed to Caryl Kiser, 6500 Meadowbrook Road, Albany, OH 45710; or online https://donations.peointernational.org/peo-donation-pce .

Please share a memory, a note of condolence or sign the online registerbook at www.jagersfuneralhome.com.