Edward Chapeze Wathen

Edward Chapeze Wathen, business and community leader passed away Tuesday, April 23, 2019 at his home, under the care of Hospice of Western Kentucky. He was 82. Mr. Wathen was born in Owensboro, the son of the late Chapeze and Ruth Hagan Wathen. He attended Blessed Mother School, St. Frances Academy, and graduated from Owensboro Catholic High School. During high school he worked as a lifeguard at the Owensboro SportsCenter pool and at Murphy Miller Furniture Company. He enrolled in the University of Dayton where he was in the Reserve Officer Training Corp and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant upon graduation. He returned to Owensboro and Murphy Miller and the 100th Division of the United States Army Reserve. Called to active duty in 1961 during the Berlin Crisis, he served as an artillery instructor at Ft. Chaffee, AR. Following active duty, he worked again at Murphy Miller before joining Kimball Furniture at its piano factory in Jasper. For a short time he owned and operated Wathen Music Company in Owensboro before joining Whitehall Furniture. His career there included national sales and national sales manager. He retired from Whitehall as president and chief executive officer. Mr. Wathen filled many roles in service to his community. They included President of the Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, and a board member of Our Lady of Mercy Hospital, Owensboro-Daviess County Hospital and Owensboro Medical Health System. He for many years was chairman of the Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission. Other board positions included those of Junior Achievement, Brescia College, and the Regional Water Resource Agency, where he chaired a task force on sewer issues. Mr. Wathen was interested in the future of Owensboro and Daviess County and was very actively involved in Strategies for Tomorrow. He founded the Owensboro Chapter of the Service Corps of Retired Executives. He was a member of St. Stephen Cathedral. Also preceding him in death were his wife, Beverly Harper Wathen and a granddaughter Caroline Chapeze Oller.

Mr. Wathen is survived by his daughters Susan F. Wathen of Owensboro and Anne Elizabeth Wathen of St. Louis; and his grandchildren Adam Edward O'Donnell of Atlanta, Katherine Elizabeth O'Donnell and Daniel Patrick O'Donnell, both of St. Louis, and Samuel Wathen Leucht of Owensboro.

The funeral service for Mr. Wathen will be 10:00 a.m. Friday at St. Stephen Cathedral. Visitation at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory will be from 3:00 until 7:00 p.m. Thursday, with prayers at 7:00 p.m., and from 8:30 until 9:30 a.m. Friday. Private burial will be in Mater Dolorosa Cemetery. Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to the Owensboro Rotary Foundation. Memories and messages of condolence for the family of Edward. C. Wathen may be shared at www.glenncares.com.