Wanda Rose Fetyko

Wanda Rose Fetyko, a devoted mother, grandmother, and faithful Catholic, passed away peacefully on February 16, 2026, at the age of 79.

Born October 28, 1946, in Athens, Tennessee, she was the third of ten children of Ross James and Roxie Juanita Chadwell. She grew up in Eastern Tennessee and later Tampa, Florida, surrounded by family in the Clabough and Chadwell clans. The Chadwell clan moved to Tampa in 1954 when her father accepted a teaching position. Her parents later opened the 301 Truck Stop and Café at Highway 4 and Highway 301 in Tampa, which still stands today.

In 1966, while working at a seaside resort in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Wanda married Michael David Fetyko of Rockville, Maryland. Together they raised five children: David Andrew, John Daniel, Michael Joseph, Charles Cyril, and Christina Marie. The family moved to California in 1971 and settled in Atascadero in 1976, where Wanda made San Luis Obispo County her home.

A devout Catholic, Wanda lived a life of prayer and service. She participated in charitable work and choral ensembles across the country, including a highlight performance at a Billy Graham revival at Bucs Stadium in Tampa, Florida. She often shared her childhood memory of winning top honors at Baptist Bible camp by perfectly reciting 200 verses of Scripture.

Always proud of her mountain roots and her clan, she told stories of simpler times, instilling in her children a love of gospel and bluegrass music and family lore. Her brothers built a very successful company in Florida and across the eastern United States, but her heart always remained in San Luis Obispo County.

One such story she frequently shared was about her father’s perseverance. When the president of East Tennessee University heard that Ross was a gifted student, he drove 25 miles to their farm to offer him a full scholarship. Although Ross was needed on the farm, he accepted the opportunity. He did not arrive for the first three weeks of classes, and the concerned president returned to find out why. Ross explained that the mule he planned to ride 25 miles each way to school had died on the very first day he set out. The president arranged for a bus pass, and Ross went on to graduate.

Wanda was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Dolores, and her brothers Larry and John. She is survived by her siblings David, Jimmy, Donnie, Gail, Chester, Michael, and Suzie Chadwell, along with a 150-strong extended family, many of whom reside in Tampa. She is also survived by four children and their spouses, six grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.

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