Frances Arlene Chissom

A Celebration of Life service for Frances will be held at Sunset Funeral Home on Monday February 2, 2026, at 11:00 am. Visitation will be one hour prior to service. Burial will follow in Sunset Memorial Park.

Survivors include her son, Russ Chissom and wife Lin of Portland, Oregon; her daughter, Penney Davis and husband Chris of Hood River, Oregon; her grandson, Aaron Davis of Hood River, Oregon; and her granddaughter, Ava Chissom of Portland, Oregon.

Arlene was born on May 9, 1940, to Rachel and Wilburn Penney in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee. She was raised in Tennessee until her last year of high school when they moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. She graduated from Boca Ciega High School in St. Petersburg, Florida and Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in biology. She later taught high school biology in Decatur, Georgia where she met her husband, Brad. They moved to Tallahassee, Florida where Brad received his Doctoral degree in education and they had their first 2 children, Russ and Mike. From there they moved to Statesboro, Georgia in 1969 for Brad’s job and endured the loss of Mike at age 3-½. Their 3rd child Penney was born in 1971 and they moved to Bryan, Texas in 1975. Their next and final family move was to Northport, Alabama in 1978 where Brad worked at the University of Alabama, and Arlene taught 7th and 8th grade science at Riverside Junior High.

Arlene spent the majority of her life creating things with her hands and helping others. Some of her hobbies included quilting, crocheting, gardening, cross-stitching, and teaching others how to do these crafts. She volunteered teaching English classes to international students at First Baptist and Skyland Baptist and helped many students study to become US citizens. She was a believer in equality and a quiet activist. After her husband’s passing, she was able to take several overseas trips with her family to places such as Spain, France, Italy, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, UAE, Oman, and China.

Arlene enjoyed the music of Johnny Mathis, making blueberry desserts from her bushes, delivering treats to neighbors, quilting baby blankets, helping a friend in need, and laughing with her family around the dinner table. Her great sense of humor brought many smiles and laughs to her friends and family. She was resilient, determined, nurturing, gentle, and kind.

In her last 6 years of life, she lived in Oregon with her children and grandchildren. They shared many hilarious times together and enjoyed their time together as a family. Arlene will be greatly missed by her family and all those she touched during her lifetime.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Brad Chissom Memorial Fund at The University of Alabama College of Education.