Carlotta Steele Gattis passed away peacefully on Friday, June 25, 2021, after an extended battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. Carlotta, the daughter of Joseph Conor Steele and Alma Mae Lefler, was born February 7, 1939, in Waxhaw, NC, and raised in neighboring Belmont.
She married the love of her life, Jerry Gattis, on June 15, 1958, and after a brief move to Huntsville, they were stationed at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Those first few years of marriage and the adventures of military life were further busied by the birth of two sons, Chris and Jeff. In 1963 they settled their small family to Huntsville, where they welcomed another son, Tommy. The three Gattis boys were raised in what they always called their June and Ward Cleaver-like home in the family-friendly neighborhood of Sherwood Park. In fact, their eldest son Chris wrote, Carcoats & A Broken Nose, a book describing he and his brothers’ idyllic and perfect upbringing being filled with memories and “stuff dreams – and hit television shows – are made of.” A stay-at-home Mom for many years, Carlotta was a doting mother who involved herself in all the boys’ activities, from various PTA duties and Cub Scout den mother to being their biggest and loudest sports fan. She later went to work for the Huntsville City School System, where she helped as a teacher’s aide with special needs children. She also enjoyed working part-time as a fashion consultant for Stein Mart, helping with their many fashion-model projects throughout the community and at times walking the runway herself. In the words of her adoring husband, she was “always elegant and beautiful as she modeled the new fashions.”
It was Carlotta’s love and expertise of cross stitching that defined her creative side. For years she could be found sitting in her chair, magnifying glasses covering her face, and a needle in her hand as she stitched beautiful pieces of artwork. One would consider themselves blessed to be gifted with a Carlotta Gattis cross-stitched work, which was keenly and skillfully crafted with lots of love. She said her final cross-stitched piece of the Lord’s Prayer was one of the most difficult, but by far the most rewarding she had ever sewn.
Carlotta was renamed by many in her family when she became “Lala” with the birth of her first grandchild. She loved being a grandmother and felt forever and immensely blessed by many more grandchildren to come. Never a day passed that she was not checking on all her “babies”, even when they grew up and became adults themselves.
After retirement from the school system, Carlotta enjoyed many adventures traveling with her husband and friends to numerous places in Europe. In 1997, Jerry swept her off to Luxembourg to complete a three-year tour with NATO. While there, they relished in many travels around Europe, often entertaining state-side family and friends who came to visit. After returning to Huntsville in 2000, Carlotta became a devoted supporter of the beautiful Huntsville Botanical Gardens. She was a member of the Garden Guild and worked numerous hours supporting many of the garden programs. In addition, she and Jerry continued as active members of First Presbyterian Church, their church home for almost six decades.
It was nearly eight years ago that Carlotta took the brave step forward to be tested for Alzheimer’s Disease. She, like her father before her, received a positive diagnosis. Carlotta faced her illness with humility and dignity and will forever be remembered as a true heroine by her family. Her love and admiration for her own storybook prince always brought a shine to her eyes as Jerry nurtured and lovingly cared for his bride of 63 years during her illness.
Carlotta is preceded in death by her parents; son, Christopher Greene Gattis, and his stepson, Michael Stephen Kees II. She is survived by her husband, Jerry; sons, Jeffrey David Gattis (Kelley) and Thomas Michael Gattis (Kim); daughter-in-law, Ann Gattis; grandchildren Elizabeth Gattis Walsh (Kevin); Conor Austin Gattis (Sara); Jacob Daniel Gattis (Kristen); Sara Blair Gattis; Madison Leigh Gattis; step-granddaughter, Aimee Lovell Tillison; step grandson, Andrew Glen Myers (Andy); four great grandchildren; two sisters, Peggy Hall and Connie Neagle; and many other extended family members.
There will be a Service of Witness to the Resurrection to celebrate Carlotta’s life on July 2, 2021, at First Presbyterian Church, 303 Gates Ave. SE, Huntsville, AL 35801, with interment of her ashes in the church’s Memory Garden. Visitation will be in the fellowship hall at 10 a.m., followed by the service in the sanctuary at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Carlotta’s memory to the Huntsville Botanical Gardens, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave., Huntsville, AL 35806 or online at www.hsvbg.org on the memorials page.
