Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 am at St. Joseph Catholic Church on Tuesday July 22 with interment to follow in Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5 – 7 pm with a rosary service at 7:00 pm at Memorial Funeral Chapel in Bryan.
Charles is preceded in death by his parents, Charlie and Mary Sobotik Opersteny; daughter, Sandra Opersteny; sister, Mary Louise Kelly and husband, James.
Charles leaves behind his wife of 70 years, Regina Stetz Opersteny; three sons, Steve Opersteny, Mike Opersteny and wife Martha, and John Opersteny; grandchildren, Jessica and husband Nate Miller, Esther Opersteny, Jaret Opersteny and wife Pamela, Sam Opersteny; and Joey Opersteny; great-grandchildren, Caden Miller, Greta and Julian Opersteny; and many nieces and nephews.
Charles was born and raised in Bryan, Texas on February 28, 1930. He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, attended St. Joseph Catholic School and graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School in 1947. He attended Texas A&M University for two years and then transferred to Sam Houston State in Huntsville, Texas. After going to Sam Houston for one semester, he served in the United States Air Force for four years during the Korean War. The Air Force sent him to Lackland Air Force Base and Randolph Air Force Base for basic training and then to the Bryan Air Force Base, his hometown, for one and a half years. The base in Bryan was re-opening after WWII, while there he was assigned to a hospital unit, which was still under reconstruction. Charles was then transferred to Newfoundland for two years, where he was assigned to the hospital unit as a physical therapist, and was discharged in 1954.
He continued his education at Sam Houston State University. Charles married Regina Stetz on July 2, 1955 at St. Joseph Catholic Church. He then graduated from Sam Houston State in 1956 and was accepted into the Physical Therapy School at Hermann Hospital in Houston, graduating just a year later in 1957. Charles worked at Methodist Hospital then the, Veterans Hospital for eleven years, Bellaire General Hospital for one year and then went into private practice for one year at several nursing homes all of which were located in Houston. He then worked at Doctors Hospital for ten years. This led him to own his own clinic on Airline Drive in Houston for a total of ten years, where he closed his office in 1990 and retired to a farm in Bryan.
His Military career continued after the Air Force in 1962, when he joined the 329th Army General Hospital Reserves and then 4005 Augmentation Hospital 1000 beds. Charles retired from the Army Reserves as the Physical Therapy Department head in 1990 as Colonel.
During his forty-three years in Houston, Charles and his family were founding members of two Catholic churches, St. Benedicts and Christ the Redeemer. He was an assistant coach of little league baseball, president of Anderson Road Civic Club, a member of the Physical Therapy Association of Texas, American Physical Therapy Association, Reserve Officers Association of Harris County, Military Officers Association of America Brazos County, three year Commander of the American Legion, Captain of the American Legion Honor Guard Brazos County, usher at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Election Judge for Brazos County for 10 years, a member of the Age Managers of St. Joseph Church, Brazos County Aggie Club, Sam Houston Alumni Club and a proud member of the Brazos County Czech Club.
