Charles Stephens

Charles L. Stephens, 92, husband of the late Nina K. Stephens, passed away on October 24, 2025. Born to Thomas Rufus and Ila Owens Stephens on December 3, 1932, he grew up in Gray Court and Taylors. He went to Taylors High School and graduated from the Franklin School of Science and Arts in Philadelphia with a degree in Medical Technology. Shortly afterwards, he joined the Navy where he worked as a hospital corpsman on the USS Yorktown and the USS Badoeng Strait. Much of his naval career was spent in the Pacific Islands, and he had many fond memories of his "mates" there. He worked as a Coca-Cola distributor and a glass installer at Binswanger Glass in his younger days but spent most of his career in property maintenance.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, his five brothers (Paul, Robert W., Gene, James, and Ronald W. Stephens), and his six sisters (Mary Edwards, Sara Tollison, Helen Howard, Rachel Burns, Jeanette Reeves, and Alice Elrod.) He will be greatly missed by his children: Terri Stephens (Keith Klingensmith), Donna Dawley (Milford), and Stan Stephens (Alba), and his grandsons, Justin Dawley and Logan Rees.

Charles was a gentle, kind soul who was the family peacemaker from a young age. His favorite activity was gardening, and he was known for his delicious tomatoes and his banana trees. He spent the colder months poring over seed catalogs, deciding what to plant next spring. He loved animals and was an avid birdwatcher. He enjoyed playing the guitar, and was also quite the capable mechanic.

The family would like to thank the staff at Richard M. Campbell Veteran's Nursing Home and the staff of Patriot Hospice for all their help and support. At his request, no services will be held.

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