Lela Frances Harrell Chesson

Lela Frances Harrell Chesson

(November 24, 1941 – October 28, 2026)

Born in Williamston, NC, on November 24, 1941, Lela Frances Harrell Chesson lived a life of optimism, enthusiasm, humor, and joy for 84 years. She was immensely grateful for the unconditional love she received from her parents, Julian and Frances Harrell, and her brother Herbert, all of whom preceded her in death.

After graduating from East Carolina University in 1963, she taught English at Jamesville High School and then at Rocky Mount Senior High School.  She began her writing career as a special correspondent for the News & Observer and served as Family Editor of the Rocky Mount Evening Telegram in the 1970s. In 1979, she co-authored A Pictorial History of Rocky Mount with Bugs and Dot Barringer.  She wrote numerous articles for state and national magazines. As a playwright, she especially enjoyed her stays as Writer-in-Residence at the Weymouth Center in Southern Pines.  Several of her plays were produced and one was published.

In 1981, Lela became the Public Information Director for the Rocky Mount City Schools and held a similar position when the Rocky Mount City and Nash County school systems merged in 1992. She was a past president of the North Carolina School Public Relations Association and received the association’s 2011 Gaskins Award for outstanding contributions to school public relations.

Her lifelong commitment to fairness and equal rights began as a fifth grader when she and her best friend, Winnie, convinced the mayor to include girls’ sports in the town’s summer recreational program.  Lela and Winnie were elated, even though the start time of the girls’ softball games was always at noon, when the summer sun was at its peak.

Lela was active in the women’s movement in the 1970s.  Decades later, she was a founding member and the first president of PFLAG Rocky Mount, a volunteer organization advocating for LGBTQ people and their families.  She was also a member of the Human Rights Campaign and Equality NC.  Her advocacy reflected her belief in Christ’s teachings of love, mercy, and compassion for those who are too often excluded.

Active in community affairs, she served on boards of various local organizations. In 2016, she was admitted to the Twin County Hall of Fame for a lifetime of advocacy and service to others.  During her retirement years, she continued to work with PFLAG, served as a volunteer Guardian ad Litem with Nash County, and found special inspiration in being a part of the Lakeside Church family.

Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in her 20s, she kept her condition private for most of her life.  Often, when people inquired about her limp, she would simply state that she had “a leg condition.”  As she explained to her younger son later, this response was the truth because she had a condition that affected her legs. Over time, she progressed from a cane to a walker and eventually a rollator, remaining mobile until her health deteriorated in April 2026. Even as walking became more difficult over the years, she often declined to use accessible parking spaces, preferring to leave them available for someone she thought might need them more.

Near her desk, where she did much of her writing, Lela kept a framed illustration of the Shakespeare quotation, “I am wealthy in my friends.”  She treasured each and every friend she had made throughout her lifetime.  It is rare for someone to have as many friends as Lela had, and even rarer for these friendships to be so deep and meaningful.  If we could put a dollar figure on the value of loving, nourishing, and joyous connections between friends, Lela would truly be among the wealthiest people ever to live on this earth.

Her greatest delight was her family – her husband Shelton, her sons Juan and Harrell, and her granddaughter Catie.  The family endured a devastating loss in 1999 when Juan, a beloved teacher and coach, died of leukemia at age 32. Juan died less than three months before the birth of his daughter Catie, his miraculous gift to all who loved him.  Lela, a talented writer with the knack of knowing exactly the right word to use, called her granddaughter Catie her “sonshine.”

Celebrating the life of “Yaya” and cherishing her memory are “Coach” Shelton Chesson, her husband of 65 years; son Harrell Chesson and his husband Joe Sarra of Atlanta, GA; granddaughter Catherine (Catie) Chesson Hart and her husband Harrison Hart of New York, NY; daughter-in-love Kristen Stephens (Catie’s mother) and her husband Bryan Stephens of Concord, NC; granddaughter-in-love Caroline Stephens of Concord, NC; and cousin Bob Guthrie of Morehead City, NC.  She is also survived by a host of beloved nieces, nephews, and their families.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at Lakeside Church, 1501 Sunset Avenue, Rocky Mount, NC 27804.

Memorial contributions may be made to Lakeside Church, where she was a member for more than 50 years.

Arrangements entrusted to Wheeler & Woodlief Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 1130 N. Winstead Avenue, Rocky Mount, NC 27804.  You may share memories and condolences with the family by visiting www.wheelerwoodlief.com.