Dorothy “Dot” McCall Chaconas passed peacefully on August 23, 2023, in Chester, Virginia, surrounded by her family. She was 96. Dot was predeceased by her husband, James “Jim” Peter Chaconas and her brother, Charles “Mac” Sidney McCall. She is survived by her sons, Louis James Chaconas (Ann), Matthew James Chaconas (Debbie) and her daughters, Kara Chaconas (Ruth) and Kristi Chaconas Hucks (Stephen). She is also survived by her nine grandchildren, Alex Chaconas, Adam Chaconas, Allegra Chaconas, Kyle Chaconas (Jen), Andrew Chaconas (Kelsey), Nick Chaconas (Brandy), Cal Hucks (Katie), David Hucks and Ethan Hucks. She is also survived by two great grandchildren, Mason Chaconas and Atlas Chaconas, as well as nieces and nephew, Toni Morgan, Kim Barnes, Kathy Chaconas, and Pete Chaconas.
Dot was born on September 10, 1926, in West Virginia, and grew up in Washington, D.C. As a young adult, she earned her pilot’s license and enjoyed short flights around the DC area. The family loved to hear the story of how she accidentally “landed” in hot water at Dahlgren Weapons Laboratory, during her cross-country check ride. She was greeted by armed personnel, and was convinced to leave “without incident”.
She married Jim Chaconas in 1959, and they enjoyed 44 years of marriage. After working as a secretary for many years and then a stay-at-home mom, she opened Chaconas Bookkeeping Services. Upon retirement, she and her husband moved to South Carolina to live the lake life. She spent her time in many pursuits, including tutoring at risk children and devoting many hours to DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) and researching family history. She always aspired to obtain a college degree, so she enrolled at the University of South Carolina – Sumter, and in 1991, completed her 4-year degree in Business Administration. She also earned additional college credits, and sat for the CPA Exam in 1994.After her husband’s passing in 2003, she eventually moved back to Virginia, near her home roots. A graveside memorial service will be held at Woodland Cemetery, Chase City, Virginia, at 1:00 pm on Sunday, September 10, 2023, which would have been Dot’s 97th birthday. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Chesterfield Food Bank Outreach Center or Dementia Society of America. Wood Funeral Service is serving the family. Condolences may be expressed at www.woodfuneralservice.com