Jeanne Arceneaux Sledge

Jeanne Marie Arceneaux Sledge passed away on Monday, November 21, 2022 at Aspire Physical Recovery Center at Cahaba-Ridge in Vestavia Hills, Ala. She was 95. She is survived by brothers Webster Joseph Arceneaux, Jr. (Barbara) of Charleston, W.V., John Geary Arceneaux of Redwood City, Calif., and Lee Patrick Arceneaux (Patty) of Birmingham, Ala.; her two sons, John Sledge (Lynn) of Fairhope, Ala. and Henry Sledge (Andrea) of Hoover, Ala.; and her three grandchildren Matthew Sledge, Elena Sullivan (San), and Jack Sledge. She is preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Yvonne Elizabeth (Bonnie) Arceneaux; and her beloved husband, Eugene B. Sledge.

Jeanne was born on February 11, 1927 in Mobile, Ala. to Webster Joseph Arceneaux and Leona Geary Arceneaux. Her father was a shipping and warehousing entrepreneur including National Van Lines agencies in Mobile and Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Jeanne spent her childhood in New Orleans and Mobile, at one point living in the famous Pontalba Building fronting Jackson Square. When asked to describe the experience she quipped that her family's apartment was flanked by "a millionaire on one side and a derelict on the other," a not untypical New Orleans scenario. She attended school at Mobile's Convent of Mercy and subsequently worked for her father's business. She was a strikingly beautiful young woman, smart and petite with brown eyes and a radiant smile. Her friends included Yolande (Bebe) Betbeze of Mobile who was named Miss America for 1951. Those who knew both Jeanne and Bebe often opined that Jeanne was the prettier. She held her beauty to the end. While serving as a bridesmaid in the wedding of her friend Nancy Neiswender to Nicholas Holmes Jr., she met and fell in love with the best man, Eugene (Gene) Sledge, also of Mobile and a WW II Marine Corps veteran. They were married at St. Paul's Episcopal Chapel on March 12, 1952. According to a newspaper account of the nuptials, the bride wore "a ballerina length dress of white tulle and lace" complemented by a short lace jacket "with long sleeves extending over the point of her hand."

Her married life was characterized by a deep devotion to family and home. She and Eugene attended Montevallo's United Methodist Church where she was active in the women's church circle. She also participated in the Montevallo Study Club and a bridge club. Gene taught biology at the University of Montevallo, and Jeanne took advantage of the educational enrichment available to university family members. She was a serious reader all her life, always eager to discuss books and writing. It was she who first suggested that her husband's searing WW II combat experiences, which he was writing down for the family, might be of interest to a broader audience. Her instincts were subsequently confirmed by the worldwide fame of the resulting memoir, "With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa." She not only gave her husband the emotional support he needed to complete that book as well as serving as his first reader and editor, but also encouraged him to write yet another describing his postwar experience, "China Marine," which was published after his death. She also served as a valued literary sounding board for sons John and Henry in their various writing endeavors.

Throughout her life she possessed a decorator's gift, creating beautiful living spaces around her. During her five years' residence at Cahaba Ridge Retirement Community in Vestavia Hills, Ala., she formed many friendships and remained an active bridge player. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Graveside services will take place at Pine Crest Cemetery, 1939 Dauphin Island Parkway, Mobile, Ala. on Saturday, December 3, at 11:00 a.m. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to the Eugene B. Sledge Memorial Scholarship at the University of Montevallo or the American Village at Montevallo.

The family wishes to thank the healthcare staff at Aspire Cahaba.