Mrs. Artie Jean (Legan) McIntyre, 84, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee departed this life on Sunday, January 7, 2024 after a long-fought battle with Alzheimer’s. Preceding her in death were her husband, Kenneth “Ken” Albert McIntyre, and parents, Gayle Fayette and Wanda (Spencer) Legan. She is survived by her son, Jay Scott McIntyre and his wife, Sandra; granddaughter, Anneliese Hope McIntyre of Murfreesboro, TN; son, Bryan Keith McIntyre; granddaughter, Kayla Jean McIntyre of Bloomington, IN; and numerous friends and lives touched by her infectious smile and boundless love.
“Wonderful story of love! Tell it to me again;” is the beginning of J.M Driver’s well known hymn, and it is the summation of Artie Jean’s life. Her parents were thrilled to welcome their bundle of joy into the world on Sunday, July 2, 1939. It worked out well that Artie Jean was an only child because her parents were able to give her a double helping of love. God must have taken it, pressed it down, shaken it together, and let it run over in Artie Jean’s life. In all that she did, she exuded love beyond measure.
When she and Ken met on a blind date, there was no doubt in his mind that he’d found someone special. That dinner and movie couldn’t have lasted long enough for him, but that wouldn’t be his hardest goodbye. Joining the Navy at the age of 17, Ken had to leave Artie Jean back on shore, but his heart stayed with her. He wrote her letters throughout his time in the service so she wouldn’t forget him for one of her classmates at Hazel Park High School. And after he got his land legs back underneath him, Ken and Artie Jean were married on May 11, 1963 at the Assembly of God Church in Ferndale, Michigan.
They began their lives together in the Detroit area, eventually settling in Ortonville, Michigan after Ken started his career with General Motors and Product Design in Pontiac, Michigan. While in Michigan, they were members of the Immanuel Congregation Church of Christ in Oxford. Not known to be idle, Artie Jean made a career in secretarial work providing administrative support and an unmatched positive atmosphere in the office.
If you ran into Artie Jean, she was sure to have a smile on her face and was probably working up some way to get you smiling and laughing with her. She loved to have fun, and because of that, fun never seemed to be too far around the corner from her. It definitely kept things interesting when the boys came along, and Artie Jean showed just how much more she could love through her creativity, wit, and wisdom.
It’s easy to forget that our parent’s were once our age, but Artie Jean made sure to remind her boys through her stories. Much to the kids benefit, Artie Jean was actually quite the athlete. She played basketball in high school and then moved on to racquetball and bowling in recreational leagues. And even in athletics, Artie Jean aimed to use her wisdom and experiences to offer love and comfort to others. When Jay was scared of thunder, she would tell him, “God is bowling. It gets really loud when He hits a strike.”
There was never a dull moment, and Ken and Artie Jean made quite the team. During their life together, they moved a handful of times or more, but anytime they moved, they made quick work of laying down roots. After retiring in 2002, the pair decided to move the family to Woodbury. They quickly became active members of Woodbury Church of Christ and the Woodbury Lion’s Club, and the community benefited in countless ways because of their hearts for service.
Ken was the project’s guy and handy man, and Artie Jean was the secretary and woman’s touch. There was a pattern of Ken would make it, and Artie Jean would doll it up. She had a knack for crafting throughout her life and had a striving to perfect her craft. Going to craft shows and classes became a hobby and a half, and her paintings of nature scenes and still life portraits were sights to be seen. Yet, even with all of her talents, there was something else that Artie Jean aimed to be the best she could be.
Through and through, Artie Jean was a Proverbs 31 woman. She was an amazing wife, mother, and grandma. Her housekeeping didn’t go unnoticed, and it wasn’t just the cleaning. Artie Jean made a warm and safe environment for her family to come home to every day. The atmosphere she created, the tender love and care that she showed, and the light she brought into even the darkest of days will be hard to recreate. Ken had it right from the very first date — Artie Jean was someone special.
After losing Ken in 2014, Artie Jean began attending at North Boulevard Church of Christ with Jay and Sandra. There have been too many cherished memories made to count during the 10 years and 1 day it took for her accomplish her purpose on this earth without Ken by her side. Her family can take comfort in the laughs and smiles shared leading up to her departure, but their hearts are still broken at the loss of women they had the privilege to call “mom.”
Visitation will be held at North Boulevard Church of Christ on Sunday, January 21, 2024 from 2-3 pm. Memorial services will be that same day at 3 pm at North Boulevard Church of Christ. Tony Holt and Al Bugg, Jr. will officiate. Her final resting place will be in Oxford, Michigan beside her beloved husband.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations are requested to the Woodbury Lion’s Club.
Share memories and condolences at www.gentrysmithfuneralhome.com Gentry-Smith Funeral Home, 303 Murfreesboro Rd. Woodbury, TN 37190, 615-563-5337 Because every life has a story
