Charles E. Vaclavik

Charles Edward Vaclavik, born August 25, 1927, grew up a native Houstonian having attended Luther Burbank Elementary through the eighth grade and Jeff Davis High School. When Charles was 17 and Henrietta 15, they met at a St. Thomas High School baseball game. Their meeting was arranged by a mutual friend who attended St. Thomas.

After his first year at Rice University, Charles, age 17, enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserves as a Radar Trainee in July 1945. He finished boot camp in Chicago as WWII was coming to a close. Ultimately stationed at Camp Wallace just outside of Houston, Charles was able to keep up his relationship with Henrietta Yarbrough. Upon discharge Charles returned to Rice University from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1949. The day after graduating from Rice University, Henrietta and Charles were married in the rectory of Christ the King Catholic Church as was the practice for mixed marriages at the time. Charles was 21 and Henrietta was 19. This was the start of a marriage that was to last 72 years.

Charles and Henrietta started their new life living in a garage apartment on 11th Street in the Heights. Charles began working for Canco Corporation. Two years later, the couple met their first child, Susan, in 1951. Susan was followed by Terry (1954), Larry (1957) and Robert (1958). In August, the family moved to 6143 Hurst, the house that was to shelter this crew until the flood of Tropical Storm Harvey in 2017.

Charles would be employed by Baroid Corporation, and Welex, both oilwell service companies . At Welex, Charles was issued a co-patent for his design of a “mud balance” which was made the standard device in the oil well drilling industry for measuring the weight of drilling mud. Finally, Charles landed at Southwestern Controls where he worked selling hydraulic and pneumatic components used in various industries. Charles was an award-winning salesman and eventually sales manager for the Houston branch of Southwestern Controls. Charles retired from Southwestern Controls at age 77 after 38 years with the company. No Christmas party at the company would ever be the same.

Charles and Henrietta had a travel bug. From their honeymoon in Corpus Christi, their travels eventually took them to New Orleans, across the Four Corners of New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and Utah and Mexico City and Acapulco with the children and then by themselves to Hawaii , Reno, and multiple trips to Las Vegas. Then across the US they traveled with their friends the Semanders and the Teters – Seattle, Oregon, Canada, Alaska, California, and more. Rome, Venice, Florence, and Prague were the highlights of European travel!

Charles rarely sat still. When the children were young and into their teenage years, he was a Little League coach , volunteer, and president. For more than 20 years, through the Houston Golf Association he served as a volunteer at the then Shell Houston Open. Then for many years, Charles and Henrietta volunteered as chief cooks in the Hot Dog Booth at the St. Theresa Bazaar and then as chief co-cooks in the Funnel Cake Booth. For many years, Charles’ favorite services were that of lector proclaiming the readings at Mass and as Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.

The four great loves of Charles life were Henrietta, the family and children, the Lord, and St. Theresa Parish in that order. Caring for Henrietta became Charles reason for living for the last years of her life as he rarely left her side. He cared so much that in a note about his beautiful “Dahlin’” he wrote, “I wish I could have done better.” The family – children, grandchildren and then great children filled his life. There are legends of powder-sugared covered donuts every Sunday after Mass until the grandchildren went off to high school and college. The Hurst Street house was family-central for every gathering and holiday.

Then there was the Lord. Charles was baptized in the Czech Moravian Catholic Church as an infant but never participated in an active way. In his adult years, Charles was a Christmas and Easter attendee at Mass with his children. It wasn’t until the birth of his fifth grandchild, Max, that Henrietta’s prayers of more than 30 years were answered. Charles was received into full communion with the Catholic Church on March 2, 1985, at Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral. From that day being a faithful and devout Catholic were at the center of his life. That love was expressed in his engagement with his parish of St. Theresa even to the regular attendance at the Saturday evening Mass even well into his 96th year.

Charles was preceded in death by his father, Joseph Vaclavik, his stepfather, Johnny Dostalik, his mother, Millie Dostalik, his brother, Joseph Vaclavik, his sister, Joyce Jones, her husband, Paul Jones and his beloved wife, Henrietta.

Charles is survived by his children, Susan and husband, Dave Fredericksen (Sugar Land), Terry Vaclavik (Sardis Lake, MS) , Robert Vaclavik (Elkhart, OK) and Deacon Larry and Liz Vaclavik (Houston).

His grandchildren and spouses include Michelle Vaclavik-Plangman and Derrell Davis (Lamar, AR), Alex and Ida Vaclavik (Richmond, VA), Jude and Hilary Vaclavik (Austin), Max Vaclavik (Houston), Kateri Vaclavik and David Vergara Golbano (Almeria, Spain), Linsey and Zach Serwer (San Antonio), Sean Fredericksen (Moody, TX), Derrick and Nikki Vaclavik (Thornton, CO), Travis and Jessica Vaclavik (Framingham, MA) and Austin and Becca Vaclavik (Greeley, CO).

Great grandchildren include Timothy Satterfield and wife, Alexis Satterfield (Lamar, AR), Tiffany Davis and partner, John Barios (Russellville, AR), Libbie, Charlie, and Winnie Vaclavik (Richmond, VA), Gabriel Serwer (San Antonio), and Linus and Marigold Vaclavik (Austin, TX), Jack, Lucy and Luke Vaclavik (Thornton, CO), James Parker, and Henry Vaclavik (Framingham, MA), and Harrison and Ruby Vaclavik (Greeley, CO).

There are seven great-great grandchildren: Keira, Aaliyah, Addilyn and Leticia Satterfield, Alexa Trammell, Arabella, and Amelia Enriquez.

After many years of illness for both Charles and Henrietta, the family thanks the home health caregivers of Brightstar of Friendswood including and most especially, Elizabeth Pena. Also, great gratitude is owed to visiting nurse, Dawn Eubanks , R.N. from IPR Home Healthcare. Elizabeth and Dawn each in their own way were champions in their care and comforting of both Henrietta and Charles through their final years and illness. Thank you for your service and support. Thanks are due as well to Fairmont Hospice and Brookdale Memorial Oaks for caring for and hosting Charles in the last hours of his life.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to St. Theresa Catholic Church in Charles’ memory.

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