Mable Chappell Kahalley

Mrs. Mable Dora Chappell Kahalley, a longtime resident of Mobile, AL, passed away peacefully on Easter morning at the Washington County Nursing Home in Chatom, AL. The family wishes to express their deep gratitude to the nursing home staff for the exceptional care and compassion shown to Mable during her time there.

Born on January 20, 1940, in Pleasant Hill, AL, Mable was the youngest of Herbert Albert Chappell and Vivian Eudora Lolley Chappell's ten children. She spent her life embodying the finest Southern ideals of hospitality, kindness, good humor, and respect for Scripture.

A serendipitous blind date arranged by a friend materialized into a 38-year romance with her late husband, Joseph "Joe" Kahalley, of Bay Minette, AL. Mable's mastery in her kitchen was legendary. Her homemade cheese straws, pound cake, and coconut cream pie were staples of family gatherings, but she was equally skilled in the art of Lebanese cuisine—a craft she lovingly learned from her mother-in-law, Lydia Kahalley. Beyond her cooking, she was known for her wit and plainspoken intuition delivered in her characteristic Southern drawl. Lifting spirits with a cup of coffee and a well-timed joke came naturally to Mable.

Throughout her adult life, Mable was a dedicated homemaker, though she held fond memories of her early years as a receptionist for the Delchamps grocery company. Once her children were grown, she shared her love for Mobile's rich history as a docent at the antebellum Bragg-Mitchell Mansion.

Mable’s faith was central to her life. She was a member of Broad Street Presbyterian Church until its closure in the 1980’s, after which she and her family became longtime members of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Mobile. She was also an active participant in her community, contributing her time to the Lebanese-American Club of Mobile and the Jackson Heights Garden Club for many years. She was an extremely talented seamstress and found great joy in reading, dancing, playing card games—especially Rook—and doting on her family.

Mrs. Kahalley was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Joseph Charles Kahalley, and her infant son, Joseph Charles Kahalley, Jr. She was also preceded in death by her parents, Herbert Albert Chappell and Vivian Eudora Chappell; her brothers, Ernest, Dennis, Herbert, Aaron, and Billy Chappell; and her sisters, Katherine Reeves, Mary Chappell, Eula Jean Boykin, and Coloen Gibson.

She is survived by a loving family who will miss her dearly, including her daughter, Johanna Kahalley Anton and husband David Anton of Kailua Kona, HI; and her sons, David Kahalley and wife Aiveen Kahalley of Daphne, AL, and Daniel Kahalley and wife Lisa Kahalley of Houston, TX.

She leaves behind six grandchildren: Steve Anton and wife Mariana Compagnone, Annabelle Kahalley and fiancé Bennett Johnson, Killian Kahalley and wife Emma Kahalley, Kahalley Anton, Lydia Kahalley, and Islay Kahalley. She is also survived by dozens of beloved nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held at 1:00 p.m., with the funeral service beginning at 2 p.m., on Thursday, April 9, at Pine Crest Funeral Home in Mobile, AL, with family members officiating.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Mable's memory.