Bill "B.F." Chaote

Bill “B.F” Choate, 85, died at home on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017. Bill was born in Chattanooga, Tenn., to the late Newton Jasper and Mattie Rollins Choate. He graduated Central High School in 1949. He attended University of Chattanooga for one year prior to enlisting in the Army and completed OCS as a 2nd Lieutenant at Fort Bliss, Texas. He was married to Mary Helen Harris on June 20, 1952. He served in Europe during the Korean War in 1953. Bill was an avid reader with interests in untold subjects including history, nature, medicine, and politics, to name just a few. As the internet became more available he loved to do research. He loved his iPad and was frequently found in his recliner reading. Bill built a Pram sailboat with his son, fell in love with sailing and very quickly graduated to a 30 foot gaff-rigged wooden sloop built in the Bahamas in the 1930s. He also sailed a Windmill class dinghy, followed by a Coronado 25 auxiliary sloop. He instilled a love of sailing in all three of his children. He is survived by his wife, Helen Choate, of Ringgold, Ga.; his children, Julia (Jeffrey) Martinroe, of Atlanta, Ga., Bill (Lilabet) Choate, of Decatur, Ga., Ken Choate, of Conyers, Ga.; his grandchildren, Dr. Mimi (James Hetland) Choate, of Ashland, Ore., Nick (Evelyn) Choate, of Atlanta, Ga.; his great-grandchildren, Hannah Hetland and Sam Hetland, of Ashland, Ore. The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 6, at the East Chapel of the Chattanooga Funeral Home, 404 S. Moore Road, East Ridge, Tenn., 37412. A graveside military service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 8, at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, GA. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to Chapter 6 of Disabled American Veterans or Brainerd United Methodist Church. Please share your thoughts and memories at www.chattanoogaeastchapel.com.