Mary Jo Cheek

William Alston Cheek, Sr. entered into Eternal Life on October 22,

2019. She was born February 22, 1921 in Clarksburg, WV, the daughter

of Mary Cook and Lee Silas Switzer, the second of six children.

Mrs. Cheek was educated in catholic schools in Weston, WV

and during the Depression years, would spend many an afterschool

hour trudging home through knee-high snow to help her

mother (“Mamie”) make popcorn to sell for needed income.

Cardboard was the go-to reinforcement for frail shoes’ soles, and

luxuries included homemade soap, gravy sandwiches, and the

Henderson Heater around which shivering siblings would hover.

After attending Dominican College for a year in Columbus,

OH, she continued on to the Miss Washington School for Secretaries

in Washington D.C., where she was voted “top overall” by the

student body. Upon graduation, she was employed as a legal

secretary by three attorneys in the law firm of “Covington,

Burling, Rublee, Acheson, and Shorb” until 1945. Her free time was

often spent caring for wounded WWII soldiers in makeshift

infirmary - praying all the day that her three brothers on active

duty wouldn’t become her next patients.

After the War, she married Lt. Cmdr. William Alston Cheek of

Pelican, LA, on November 22, 1945 in the Walter Reed Chapel in

Washington D.C.. A devout catholic, Mrs. Cheek and her husband

were active members of Holy Souls Church from its inception until

becoming parishoners at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in downtown

Little Rock.

Full and fulfilling were her child-raising years with Bill,

nurturing eight children through twelve years of catholic

education, piano lessons (for all eight) and recitals care of the

Mercy nuns at Mount St. Mary’s Academy. Too there was ballet,

scouting, backyard croquet and summers vacationing at the “Beach

Box”. Days would be busy with cloth diapers, baby formula and

sterile bottles, non-microwaved meals, and tv-less evenings, even

with homework done. Bedtimes would be preceded often by

kneeling for the family rosary in front of a picture of the Sacred

Heart. All eight children completed college, with several obtaining

their Doctorates in music performance, teaching, and medicine.

While serving in her later years as president on the board of

the family apartment estate business, she otherwise enjoyed her days

pursuing that love of music and watercolors - talents she polished

by attending the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in her 60’s.

Into her 90’s she was a true believer in the value of crossword

puzzles, the daily Democrat, and a 5 o’clock glass of chardonnay

and Dorito’s. She enjoyed gardening and was an active member of

Little Rock Horticulture and Holy Souls Scripture study groups. She

and Bill often entertained Community Concert artists in their

home and never forgot to include parish priests and the St. Mary’s

nuns on holidays with feasts of char-broiled rib roast, some “hot

stuff”, and some Heaven Hill. Mary Jo’s life of 98 years was

purposeful from start to finish, with devotion to the

fundamentals of faith and family. Hers was a gentle yet firm hold

directing that self-sacrificing spirit to ensure that all “T’s” were

crossed, “i’s” were dotted, and cursive was at the right slant

(you’ll recall, she was a professional legal secretary).

While always celebrating with gratitude her abundance of

God’s blessings, her focus remained til the end never to leave one of

“her eight” unattended - regardless their question or quest.

“What I longed for, I now see;

What I hoped for, I now possess;

In Heaven I am exposed to Him

Whom on Earth I loved with all my heart.”

- Liturgy of the Hour

Mrs. Cheek is survived by seven of her eight children, Constance

Cheek Hays (Mike — Kingwood, TX), Mary “Jo” Cheek who was her

caregiver the past decade, Robert T. M.D. (Robin — Little Rock),

Elizabeth Cheek Whaley (Skip — IN), John A. Cheek (NC), Richard A.

Cheek (Lange — Little Rock), Julia Ellen Cheek (Little Rock), and is

preceded in Life by her husband William A. Cheek Sr., her son William

A. Cheek Jr. (CA) and infant grandson Christopher Henry Cheek, her 25

grandchildren who live all over the world and 18 greatgrandchildren.

Visitation will be held Friday October 25, 2019 at 6pm with a

rosary to follow at Griffin Leggett Funeral Home 5800 W. 12th St.

Little Rock, AR. Mass of Christian burial will be Saturday October

26th, 2019 at Cathedral of St. Andrew’s Catholic Church 617 Louisiana

St. Little Rock, AR. With burial at Calvary Cemetery on S. Woodrow

in Little rock. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be

submitted to MaryLake Monastery 5151 Marylake Drive Little Rock,

AR 72206.