Darlene W. Chastain, age 62, of Fernandina Beach, passed away on Saturday afternoon, February 11, 2017 at Baptist Medical Center in Jacksonville.
Born in Columbia, SC, she was the eldest of three children born to the late Billy Gene and Georgie Viola Melton Abel. As a young child, she and her family moved to Jacksonville where she grew up and attended Robert E. Lee High School. As a teenager, the family moved to Nassau County where she graduated from Fernandina Beach High School as Class Valedictorian. She later attended FSCJ where she earned her Associates Degree in Business Management. Beginning in the late 1970s she was appointed by the Mayor�s Office of Jacksonville as an activist for and investigator of facilities caring for the mentally challenged citizens of Duval County. In the early 1980s she was the voice of �Dixie�, a local Disc Jockey with WHOG Radio, Fernandina Beach, FL. In the ensuing years, she worked in the Restaurant Business; at the Wayfarer, the Thunderbird, Big Daddy�s Bar-b-Que and South End Bar-b-Que as well as in the Retail Industry most recently with Kangaroo Convenience Stores.
Ms. Chastain was an animal lover, enjoyed crossword puzzles and strategy games to include Rummy, Dice, and Spades.
She had attended Five Points Baptist Church.
Mrs. Chastain is preceded in death by her mother, her father, and a sister, Debbie Darlington.
She leaves behind, two sons, Michael �Myke� Chastain and his wife, Kim, Fernandina Beach, FL, Chad Jaynes and his wife, Shelly, Yulee ,FL, a brother, Stevie Darlington, Jacksonville, FL, grandchildren, Chad �CJ� Jaynes II, Chad Christopher Michael Jaynes, David Chastain, Tara �T� Chastain and a niece, Amanda Young and a nephew, Billy Abel.

Funeral services will be at 6:00 pm, on Wednesday, February 15, 2017 in the Burgess Chapel of Oxley Heard .
Her family will receive friends on Wednesday, at the funeral home, from 5:00 pm until the hour of service.