Chana Jean Piletere

Chana Jean Piletere, 44, of Bridge City, passed away on February 16, 2021.

Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m., Monday, February 22, 2021, at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange.

Visitation will be held prior to the funeral service, beginning at 1:00 p.m., at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange.

Chana Jean Piletere entered this world kicking and screaming and crying for the moon, and a lived her life the same. She was spoiled from her first breath and never grew accustomed to the word no. Between her grandparents and aunt and uncles, she never really had to. Her fondest memories of childhood were sitting in the porch swing while her grandmother sang hymns, whether they were shelling peas, pecans, or just enjoying one of their many conversations about everything going on in her life. She loved going to church, reading anything she could get her hands on, and playing with her brother and her cousins. She loved everything about her simple life, and when she grew older that same simple life was what she wanted most.

She lived a quiet life for the most part, but she lived it on her terms. Telling her she couldn’t do something was the surest way to get her to prove you wrong. She had a determination about her that enabled her to achieve whatever she set her mind to. Her limits in life were by her own choosing and never because she felt she needed to settle for anything.

She was an excellent student in school, and had aspirations for law school and saw herself being a high powered corporate attorney traveling the world and experiencing all life had to offer. God had better plans, and she would tell you that she didn’t know how much she would rather be a mom until Ms. Laci came along early in her life. Chana realized quickly that motherhood was what she wanted to do more than anything. She had a few hiccups along the way but eventually married Chad Piletere and settled in to a homemaker role with her three children and his daughter. It was a house full of chaos and crazy, but most times fun and full of love as well. With four children very active in school, sports, and neighborhood shenanigans, it was anything but boring but she loved every minute of it. Eventually along came Isabelle, who was better know as the princess. Life was busy, but life was good. Looking back she would tell you that the little house in Bridge City with a backyard full of kids was the happiest time of her life. She was the mom who loved summer break and always got upset when it was time for school to start. She thrived on having her babies home with her, she didn’t mind the chaos, mopping constantly from kids in and out, or trying to feed lunch to what seemed like an entire neighborhood at times. She cried randomly just thinking about the kids growing up and moving out. There may have been challenging times **teenage years especially** but there was never a time that she would rather any other life. She loved them underfoot, and when they did grow up and move out she wanted nothing more than to have them back home again.

I know she wont mind my saying, she lost her way many years ago, and she never really found it again. She loved her kids, and her grandbabies, and she went on about life without much fuss, but in her mind she wished she could have more time with them all, she imagined that rocking chair on the back porch, a house full of grown kids, and grandbabies playing on the swings. She wanted to get back to that simple life again, and have more time for all of her babies, and I know with enough time she would have gotten there.

She was funny, she could definitely be quirky, and really she never grew up completely. She loved having fun, playing games, and being active. She was in her 40’s and would still play in the backyard not with the grandbabies, but with her other 40 yr old friends also. Misty, or Misty Ann in Chana’s words, will be the first to tell you that she had to be mother hen and keep Chana reigned in a lot of times. But that’s one thing I think everyone loved about her was how she could have fun anywhere and doing anything. She didn’t need special times or plans, she could make sitting on the porch fun.