Azalee Maude Whitehurst Ambrose (Mrs. James Basil Ambrose) passed away 21 June 2024 at Crestwood Medical Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Services will be held on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, 11:00AM at the Corinthian Funeral Home Chapel with visitation from 9:00AM until service time. She was born in McNairy County to the late Annie Myrtle Brice Whitehurst and the late Barnett Gibbs Whitehurst on 27 August 1926. Mrs. Ambrose was a longtime employee of Sears in Memphis, where she was manager of the record album department. After their marriage at the Foote Street Church of Christ, she and Mr. Ambrose moved to Memphis, where their children were born and reared; after 40 years, Azalee and Basil moved back to the Acton community where they had grown up. Azalee was known in Acton and Corinth as “Baby Sis,” and still is today. Some of her nieces and nephews called her “Aunt Baby Sis,” while some of her little cousins just called her “Sis.” Her cooking skills were a great blessing to those who knew her table. Reading, needlework, playing cards and traveling were favorite activities.
In Memphis, she was a member of the Macon Road Church of Christ. In retirement, she was a member of Foote Street and Acton congregations of the Church of Christ. Throughout her life, she believed in putting others before herself because she was a follower of Christ.
Mrs. Ambrose was preceded in death by her parents, husband, daughter Sidney Sharon Ambrose Bentley, grandchildren Grace Bernice Ambrose and Annie Laura Brittain, brother Barnett Brice Whitehurst (Thelma), sisters Bernice Whitehurst Barnes (Eugene) and Janet Whitehurst Ragland (Charles), father and mother-in-law Mr. and Mrs. E.A. Ambrose, sister-in-law Geraldine Ambrose Berry (Woodrow). Survivors include daughters Gweneth Ambrose Smithers (Martin) of Alabama and Janet Cheryl Ambrose (Tom) of Tennessee, son James Harvey Ambrose (Janet Lynn) of Kentucky, son-in-law David Lambert Bentley of Arkansas, grandchildren Barry Eugene Bentley, Molly Smithers Bolger, Virginia Ambrose Harman, Carol Ambrose Curley, Elizabeth Bernice Bentley, James Joseph Brittain, James Almus Ambrose, and Cheryl Azalee Britanabe, 18 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren. Also, she greatly loved her nephews and nieces and their families. Mrs. Ambrose was thrilled when great-niece Chrissie often brought “the party” to her house. Bets Roddy Thomas was a lifelong friend. In retirement, her friends included Jan Prather, Debra Wiggington, Elise Roberts, Wanza Gray and Nelda Parrish.
The Corinthian Funeral Home is honored to serve the Ambrose family.
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