It is with heavy hearts that we announce that Cameron James Tate Chatham, known as “Jay” to his family and friends passed away on Thursday, December 22, 2022 at the age of 22. Jay was a loving son, father, brother and grandson. He was a lifelong resident of the Northern Neck and the son of William “Wade” Chatham and Crystal Tate Chatham of Warsaw.
Jay has always been mechanically inclined. As a little boy he would take things apart and put them back together again. It is no surprise that Jay became a mechanic when he grew up. He loved cars, especially fast ones. He also loved sports and played football while in high school where he and his dad enjoyed not just a father/son relationship, but a player/coach relationship. Jay enjoyed a very close relationship with his mother and nanny and together they were his biggest supporters, advocates and number one fans. He loved being a father and his daughter Nellie was the focus of his love and attention. Jay loved animals, especially dogs.
Left to cherish his memory are his parents Wade and Crystal; his beautiful daughter Nellie Rose Chatham and her mother Desiree Saunders; his grandparents: Pam Tate (Denise Chewning), George Tate (Marybeth), Richard Chatham and Susan Chatham; his great-grandmother Patricia Martin; his sisters: Whitney Morgan (Ryan), Kaetlyn Franklin (Bailey) and Chelsea Tate; his aunts Wendy Tate and Chrystal Southworth; his best friends Kennon “K-9” Turner and Justen “Chop” Pollard; his therapist Thomas Mamalakis; his beloved dog Faith; and many great-uncles and -aunts; cousins and friends. He was deeply loved and will be deeply missed.
A memorial service to celebrate Jay’s life will be held at the Welch Funeral Home Marks Chapel on Tuesday, December 27, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. with the Reverend David Dunaway officiating. His family will receive friends at the funeral home one hour prior to the service.
We would like to encourage our friends and family to honor Jay’s brave battle for mental health by making a donation to www.namivirginia.org which provides support to people in crisis.