Charles "Benny" B Lasalle

Charles B. AKA Benny LaSalle was born July 28, 1946 in Birmingham, Alabama. His parents were Sam and Annie Mae Bearden LaSalle. Benny fought a long and valiant battle with leukemia and lung cancer and lost that battle on September 27, 223. He grew up at the great environment of the Silver Slipper Dance Club on Highway 11 between, Birmingham and Trussville. He attended Huffman Elementary School, Hewitt Trussville High School, and Jacksonville State College.

After graduation From Jacksonville he moved to Baltimore to work for Crawford Door Company. There he met and married Lee Giddings and they had a son Ryan. Lee had two children, Terri and Michael from a previous marriage.

It wasn’t long before his entrepreneurial spirit, like his parents, kicked in and he moved his family to the Ocean City, Maryland area. He started a very successful business called “Master Jack” with a specialty of installing high quality windows and doors, The doors varied in size from home garage to large airplane hangars. He and Lee also designed and built their dream home. Their son Ryan died when he was 5 in a tragic drowning accident and Lee passed years later after a long battle with lung cancer.

Benny loved and enjoyed a number of pursuits. Saltwater fishing was high on his list and he made many friends around the docks at Ocean City. He took his land loving older brother 48 miles off the coast of Maryland in a single engine 22 ft boat to have an exciting adventure with a yellowfin tuna and a great white shark. He once made the local paper when he caught a 230 lb Mako Shark and got a new nickname “Buck”, possibly because he looked like “Uncle Buck.” He followed the White Marlin fishing tournament and participated in it a few times. He loved Auburn football and followed the team recruitment efforts as well as the often fan’s critical comments. Some of his family and friends thought he had the same skills as “Tim the Tool Man Taylor.” He loved tinkering with all machines, from small engines to turning his Mother’s “old person car” 1975 Pontiac Ventura into a muscle car with drag racing potential. He moved his father’s old garden tractor from Trussville to Maryland and turned it into a snowplow. That garden tractor/snowplow now sits at his home in Pell City along with many other remembrances from his Silver Slipper days.

Benny sold his business and retired in Maryland, but the Birmingham area and the many Friends and relatives drew him home. He recently sold his home in Maryland and moved to Pell City near Logan Martin Reservoir.

He is survived by his stepson Michael (Patty) Giddings of Pennsylvania, sister Susie (Rex) Martin of Boca Raton Florida and brother Veto "Sonny" (Judy) LaSalle of Hamilton, Montana.

A celebration of life will be held on October 3 from one PM to three PM at the Ridout’s Trussville Chapel, located at 1500 Gadsden Highway. Burial will follow at the family plot next to his wife Lee and his son Ryan at Jefferson Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers please consider donating in Ben’s name to one or more of Ben's favorite charities, St Jude’s Hospital, Shriner’s Hospital or Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

The family would like to recognize two very special people that were by his side like guardian angels for the past year or more. Johnny Greene actually saved his life three times and family member Dorothy Rubino was a care giver, conscience, driver for trips and for energy.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ridoutstrussvillechapel.com for the Lasalle family.