REIDSVILLE, NC - Mrs. Barbara Jean Bradley Chestnut, age 82, passed away Sunday, December 21, 2025 upon arrival to Annie Penn Hospital.

Public viewing will begin on Sunday, December 28, 2025 from 12 until 6 p.m. at McLaurin-Harris Memorial Chapel, 721 East Morehead Street, Reidsville, NC. The family will be present for the wake from 2 until 4 p.m.

Funeral services will be held Monday, December 29, 2025 from the Zion Baptist Church, 807 Piedmont Street, Reidsville, NC. Visitation with the family will begin at 12:30 p.m., followed by the service at 1:30 p.m. Pastor Marcus L. Fairley will officiate and Dr. Michael Anthony Long, eulogist.

Interment will follow in the family plot of Greenview Cemetery, Reidsville, NC.

Barbara Jean Bradley was born on July 7, 1943, in New Hall, West Virginia, to Cora Irene Williamson Bradley and William Ottoway Bradley. On September 26, 1959, she married Lee Otis Chestnut, Jr., and together they built a life rooted in love, faith, and family while raising seven children.

Barbara was a devoted and active member of Zion Baptist Church in Reidsville, NC, where she faithfully served as a Deaconess, choir member, and Girl Scout Leader for ZBC Troop 73. Her commitment to service extended beyond the church and into the community she loved so dearly.

She dedicated over 20 years to the Reidsville City School System as a teaching assistant, nurturing and guiding countless children—sometimes even driving the school bus when needed. Prior to her career in education, Barbara worked for Burlington Industries for 29 years. She was also the foundation and driving force behind Chestnut Tax Services, truly a jack of all trades.

Barbara graduated from Booker T. Washington High School and remained deeply connected to her alma mater as an active member of the Heritage Association. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Science degree from Shaw University and later attended North Carolina A&T State University, pursuing graduate studies in Early Childhood Education, an accomplishment she was immensely proud of.

A woman of unwavering strength and determination, Barbara believed no task was too great when it came to caring for her children—or anyone else's child. She was a mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, friend, and a beloved member of her community. Love defined her in every sense of the word. She never met a stranger, and every child she encountered was embraced as her own. In addition to raising her seven children, she lovingly helped raise nieces, nephews, godchildren, grandchildren, and many others.

To know Barbara was to know a rare and intentional kind of love—pure, generous, and deeply motherly. Her presence brought joy, comfort, and laughter to all who knew her. She enjoyed teaching, bowling with the Mary Mixers Bowling League, traveling with her beloved sister and trusted "road dog," Carolyn, and spending time with her family. She was also a proud member of the Good Neighbors Club.

Barbara is survived by her five sons: Leotis Tyrone Chestnut (Karen), Michael Chestnut (Turnette), Kevin Chestnut (Michelle), Steven Chestnut (Bonita), and Reginald Chestnut (Catina); two daughters: Dr. Jacqueline Chestnut and Angela Chestnut Black; sisters: Ruth Porter and Carolyn Fleming (Frank); brother: Garnett Bradley; sister-in-law: Helen Gladden; brothers-in-law: David Chestnut (Adele), Earl Chestnut (Sylane), Harold Chestnut, and Phillip Cole; godchildren: Veronica Bradley Badgett, Frank Fleming, Jr., and Raheem Lipscomb; twenty-one grandchildren; and a host of great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, her dear friend, Gail Wilson, and many others whose lives she touched.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Lee Otis Chestnut, Jr.; her parents, Cora Irene Williamson Bradley and William Ottoway Bradley; six brothers, William, George, Fredrick, James, Aaron, and Curtis Chestnut; one sister, Velma May Chestnut; and two brothers-in-law, Minister Leon Chestnut and Calvin Porter.

Service by McLaurin-Harris