Ellene Kay Brackeen, 80, of Athens, passed away on Thursday, July 30th, 2026, at Athens-Limestone Hospital. She was born on December 19th, 1945, in Peoria, IL, to Olof and Betty (Gilmore) Hinton.
Mrs. Brackeen is survived by her husband, Philip Brackeen; son, Jeffery Brackeen; daughters, Lori Best (Mike) and Stacie Whipple (Bruce); grandchildren, Justin Brackeen (Taylor), Jake Brackeen (Brianna), Sam Best (Cameron), Casey Best, Ethan Hill, Austin Hill, Danielle Kitten (Donovan); six great-grandchildren; and sisters, Martha Cain and Sharon Lehman.
She is preceded in death by her parents Olof and Betty Hinton; a sister, Mary and a brother, Steve.
The funeral service for Mrs. Brackeen will be Wednesday, August 5th, 2026, at Limestone Chapel Funeral Home, at 2:00 p.m. The visitation will be Wednesday, from 12:00 to 1:45 p.m., at the chapel. Pallbearers will be Mike Best, Jeff Brackeen, Sam Best, Justin Brackeen, Jake Brackeen, Ethan Hill, and Austin Hill. Burial will be at Athens Memory Gardens.
Mrs. Brackeen enjoyed spending time with her family. Her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids brought her so much joy. She also loved puzzles, scrabble, shopping, especially thrifting and consignment shops. She also loved bowling and was a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan. She was a great friend to many, but Kathy and Toni were her lifelong best friends. She was so thankful for her church family and all their love and support.
