CHARLES WESLEY “CHARLIE” DANIELS, age 27 of Old Hickory, passed away Tuesday, October 25, 2016. Preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Jim and Wauniece Daniels. Survived by his parents, Frank and Tina Daniels; maternal grandparents, Carolyn and Jimmy Ray Greenwood, Sr.; uncle, Jimmy Ray (Terri) Greendwood, Jr.
Despite a grim prognosis of death by age five years, Charles Wesley Daniels (Charlie) turned in a 27 year record of perfect attendance in the school of the hardest knocks. Rendered immobile, at a young age, by a progressive, degenerative, neuromuscular disease known as Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Charlie gallantly soldiered through dozens of hospitalizations, a dozen surgical procedures, countless bouts of pneumonia, collapsed lungs, kidney stones and digestive problems, along with an additional diagnosis of Type I Diabetes, at age 13.
Told he wouldn’t live long enough to attend school and encouraged to place him in “a home”, we proudly watched, as Charlie went on to graduate with honors from High School, and to earn Associate’s Degrees in multiple subject areas, at Nashville State Technical Community College, all the while, living at home, with us. During the four years he attended college, he missed only one class, and that, in order to attend his grandmother’s funeral.
In the five years and five months, since graduating college, Charlie has busied himself with work and play, as a freelance graphic artist, photographer, videographer, media editor, coffee/ice cream/cocktail aficionado and a faithful, faultless friend and son. He has designed logos, stationery and promotional materials for numerous small businesses and worthy causes, and he has done several album cover kits for artists ranging from T-Pain to Drake White, with several others, in between. Not surprisingly, he never protested of busyness, when a friend or family member was in need of his attention or aid.
Additionally, over the course of these last few years, Charlie has developed a number of smaller enterprises, several of which never made it off “the drawing board”, for lack of time. He has conducted the entire range of his activities with the use of only his right index finger, as that was the last remaining body part that would respond to the command it received from his truly exceptional brain.
If the aforementioned were all there was to Charlie, it would be far more than expected and certainly more than anyone else’s “enough”, but it wasn’t Charlie’s “enough”…
In addition to his extraordinary accomplishments, Charlie has also nurtured and sustained a heart of purest gold – the best that ever was, as I used to say to him, in my scruffy, sing-song, daddy voice - “Charlieboy, Charlieboy, the best that ever was…”
Charlie never met a stranger, and he didn’t see differences, only similarities. He was compassionate and accepting of others, and not merely “tolerant” of them. He was never one to judge another person – even when he disagreed with them.
I can say, without reservation, that everyone who knew Charlie, loved Charlie, and I know he loved them back, if not indeed first…
May you rest, forever in paradise, my sweet Charlie – We hope to be there, with you, in just a minute…
A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be conducted 1 :30 pm Saturday, November 5, 2016 at Hermitage United Methodist Church.
In lieu of flowers or other expenditures, please consider paying tribute to Charlie with a memorial donation to the following organization, or to the charity of your choice:
Genesis Academy (Christmas Fund)
c/o Claire Herb
5000 Danby Drive
Nashville, TN 37211
Be sure to make your check payable to – “Genesis Academy (Christmas Fund)”, and please, if you will, note on your check:
“CWD Memorial Contribution”
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.9.5