Melinda Penn Bethea

Published 10:15 am Friday, January 2, 2015

Funeral Services for Melinda Penn Bethea of Gulfport are 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2015, at First Presbyterian Church of Biloxi with a graveside service following at 2 p.m. at Lake Park Cemetery in Laurel. Bradford O’Keefe Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation is Friday, Jan. 2, 2015, from 5 until 7 p.m. at Bradford O’Keefe Funeral Home.

Mrs. Bethea, 67, died Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014, in Gulfport. She was born on Oct. 8, 1947, in Brookhaven to John Sidney Penn and Betty Watkins Penn Denson.

Mrs. Bethea attended Brookhaven High School, where she was elected Miss Brookhaven High in 1965. She then studied at the Mississippi State College for Women where she was a member of the Silhouette Social Club and graduated in 1969. She married Mack Bethea in 1967 and later began her career teaching English and Spanish at Brandon Academy followed by Harrison Central High School. She subsequently spent many years assisting her husband with his law practice.

Mrs. Bethea was an active member of the community and spent years teaching Sunday school and vacation Bible school. Her passion was serving and working with special needs children and adults. She was a coach for Special Olympics area III in both swimming and equestrian for many years. She served as a long time board member and past president of both the Gulf Coast ARC and the Gulf Coast Western Variety Dancers support group. In 2010, she was the recipient of the Lifetime Network Caring Woman Award, given to a woman who has overcome personal adversity.

Preceding her in death were her parents; and her sister, Judith Penn Ewing.

Survivors are her husband, Mack; three children, Shelley Bethea Kennedy (Bradley), Daniel Bethea and Emily Bethea; two grandchildren, Madeline Kennedy Dietrich (John) and Nathan Kennedy; three great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Betsy Penn Smith and Nancy Penn Pavy.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to Special Olympics Mississippi (specialolympicsms.org) or the First Presbyterian Church, 1340 Beach Blvd, Biloxi, MS. 39530.

View and sign register book at www.bradfordokeefe.com