Sombrilla Society Member

Jack Cheetham:
Chasing God's Laughter

Jack Cheetham and his wife, Betty, spent much of their time together chasing the big story. As photojournalists whose work appeared in most of the major news magazines, the Cheethams crisscrossed the continent covering some of the most important issues of the 20th century.

Credited with breaking the story of the fledgling "Jesus Movement" in Look magazine in the early 1970s, Jack and Betty were devoted to each other and to their profession. "We both wrote and both took pictures. We would talk things out between the two of us," recalled Jack of those golden and fun-filled years when their work also graced the covers of Time and Life.

But their lives changed in 1993 when Betty became ill with a deadly pneumonia that almost took her life that year and would leave her mostly bedridden until she passed away in 1998. "Although she was confined to her bed or wheelchair, we enjoyed, celebrated, and reveled in every day of the extra five and a half years that God gave us," Jack said.

Today, Jack cherishes his memories and continues to celebrate life with the many friends he has made around the world. "Every minute of life is important. There are no dull moments," he said. "In January 2003, I traveled to Pasadena, California, to cover an international prayer group, The Call, which held a revival meeting at the Rose Bowl. That group is but a part of a larger story taking place around the world - a story friends in distant lands called to my attention late last year. Whether I'm chasing an international story or photographing a local wedding, it's all a part of life's adventure. I like to think of it as chasing God's laughter," Jack said.

Now, Jack wants to ensure that the good fortune he and Betty had together will benefit others after he is gone. That's why he has included The University of Texas at San Antonio in his estate plan. Through a trust established with his bank in San Antonio, he plans to fund the Jack and Betty Mee Cheetham Endowed Scholarship in Communication at UTSA, with preference for the award to be given to students planning careers in journalism.

"For three years, I taught my neighbor's twins how to write," said Jack. "Gary and Jonathan are good boys who I teasingly call 'Los Quates del Diablo.' To light up the eyes of youth and set fire to their imagination is an electrifying experience. You can't carve 'By Jack & Betty Cheetham' on a tombstone, so I decided to send our 'by line' on through future generations in the form of a UTSA scholarship. Who says you can't live forever?"

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