Ava Jean Chew
August 16, 1927 – May 2, 2023

Ava Jean Chew was a Homemaker. It’s a term you don’t hear much anymore, but it was how she described herself. And her late husband, William B. Chew, and their six children would tell you that she made them an amazing and wonderful home. Jean and Bill were college sweethearts, married for 65 years – or 65 “glorious” years, as Bill would say.

Jean was born to Paul Alexander and Vera Bickel Alexander on a family farm in a small town in Indiana, called Burney. She grew up in nearby Greensburg, where her father was the high school principal and superintendent of the school district. Jean and her family moved just before her senior year to West Lafayette, Indiana, so her father could pursue a PhD at Purdue University, where he later served as Dean of Education and Chairman of the Teacher Education Council. She graduated valedictorian of West Lafayette High School and enrolled as a “town girl” at Purdue, where she met Bill in the bowling alley at the Purdue Memorial Union. He was from Shirley, also a small Indiana town, and was at Purdue on the GI Bill.

Jean was an Alpha Delta Pi, graduated with a degree in Education, and taught third grade at Morton School while Bill finished his PhD in Industrial Engineering. A little boy in her class cried when he found out she married Bill because, unbeknownst to Jean, the eight-year-old had planned to marry her. Bill would visit her class sometimes and treat the kids to a “walking field trip” over to the Purdue Creamery at Smith Hall for ice cream. You could do that back in those days.

Their first child, Leslie Paul, was born in Indiana. After Bill graduated, the family moved to Michigan, where Bill had a successful career at General Motors, and Jean made a warm and happy home as their family grew with Marta Jean, William Bruce, Mary Jane, Michael Brian, and Melinda Joan. Jean took credit for the organized, every-other, boy-girl cadence. Bill took credit for marrying Jean.

Jean was a completely engaged parent. She was the first woman PTA President of the school, a room mother countless times, and in charge of the “Pembroke Panic” elementary school fair. She organized books for the AAUW book sale, chaperoned field trips, hosted great birthday parties, designed costumes for Halloween, and took the kids shopping for school supplies every year, even though the ones from the previous year were just fine. She drove the kids everywhere, listened to endless questions-complaints-stories-requests, and helped to raise the dog, many cats, snakes, gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, frogs, turtles and fish. When Melinda, the youngest, completed elementary school and closed the chapter on 22 consecutive years of Chew children at Pembroke, Jean was presented with a brass school bell engraved with the kids’ names. The honor was normally reserved for retiring teachers and, as far as we know, she is the only parent ever “retired” from the school.

Jean was a devoted wife who ran the house by getting the kids off to school, paying the bills, grocery shopping, cleaning, doing the laundry, ironing and cooking – times six. And every night, she met her husband at the door with a kiss.

When her kids started having their own kids, Jean offered to come for a couple of weeks to help, if they wanted her to. And they all did, 13 times. As the grandkids grew older, Jean became Gran and her superpower became garage sale shopping. The basement shelves were covered with toys (organized by age) and the grandchildren thrived in a home filled with enthusiastic grandparents, lots of aunts and uncles and an endless supply of love.

When Bill and Jean retired, they moved to University Place, a senior living community near Purdue, back where it all began.

Throughout her life, Jean was an extraordinary optimist. She always saw the upside of life and the best side of people. Her legacy will be in the kindness she offered to everyone she met. Jean instilled her wisdom, strength and positive outlook in her husband and her children, and she beautifully guided a family that still enjoys each other’s company and makes each other laugh every day.

Jean’s six children and spouses, 13 grandchildren and three great grandchildren will miss her very deeply, just as we have missed her husband since his passing on October 9, 2014. But dad has waited a long time for mom and we are certain, now that she has joined him, Heaven will feel much more like home.

Ava Jean Chew is survived by her children and their families: Paul/Raf Chew (Marika, Camille, Selene), Marta Mosteit (Stephanie/Alex—Zane, Nora, Gabe; Michael), Bruce/Margie Chew (Katie, Billy/Nilou, Johnny/Mia, Laura), Mary Jane Chew, Michael/Nancy Chew (Michaela, McCormack), Melinda/Mark Osowick (Ava, Riley Jean).

The children are honoring their mother’s wishes for a private family service. If you would like to make a memorial donation in honor of Ava Jean Chew, please consider University Place Foundation, 1700 Lindberg Rd., West Lafayette, IN 47906, and Indiana Talking Books and Braille Library, 140 N. Senate Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46204.