Claud Alfred “Buddy” Chellstorp, age 78, passed away on Wednesday, May 26 th , 2021 at his residence surrounded by his family. Buddy was born on February 12, 1943 to Claus and Ruth Chellstorp in Fairfield, Alabama. He grew up in Birmingham, along with his sister, Gladys Chellstorp Dunn. He attended Columbia Military Academy in Columbia, TN and later served in the United States Air Force and worked for Lockheed Aircraft and LSI Inc. in aircraft technical support. Buddy is survived by his loving wife, Charlotte Diane Crump Chellstorp and has three children, Melissa Byars, Janet (Jeff) Wooten, and Chad (Chelsea) Chellstorp; six grandchildren, Keith and Hunter (Lesley) Byars, Jarrett and Jenna Wooten, Forrest and Chase Chellstorp; and one great-granddaughter, Brynlie Byars; one sister, Gladys Dunn; special niece and nephew, Kathy Peters and David Dunn; as well as many other nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by one brother-in-law, Roy Dunn. He and his family moved to Coffee County in 1972. Buddy early on became an entrepreneur, starting Communications Specialist (a two-way radio enterprise), Coffee County Answering Service, was instrumental in building and managing the TV Cable system in Manchester, and was a member of the Coffee County Sherriff’s Department. He also started A1 Paging, and was a long-time member of First United Methodist Church in Tullahoma. Buddy became a ham radio operator and was a member of the Ham Radio Club. His call number was W4KTK. Buddy was a board member of the Tullahoma Airport Authority, the Treis County Chapter of the American Red Cross, and the noon Tullahoma Rotary Club. He was also an avid aviator with a strong passion for flying. Buddy was honored to be invited to accompany German captains in the cockpit of German Lufthansa Airlines while on a family trip to Germany. Buddy holds an FAA Commercial Multi Engine Instrument Pilot Rating. Visitation will be held on Saturday, June 5 th , 2021 at Kilgore Funeral Home from 12:00pm-2:00pm with the funeral to immediately follow at 2:00pm with Rev. Rickey Wade officiating. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Memorial Gardens. For those who wish, in lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Buddy’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Kilgore Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
