Mr. Charles Chuck Highsmith

Charles V. "Chuck" Highsmith was born at St. Joseph's Hospital in Fort Worth on Jan. 12, 1941, to Harold D. Highsmith and Anna Lucille Brustrom Highsmith and passed away on March 25, 2010, in Tyler after a long struggle with bladder cancer.

He grew up on the west side of Fort Worth, in Arlington Heights, and attended South High Mount Elementary, W.C. Stripling Junior High and Arlington Heights High School, graduating in 1959. He participated in rodeo events in his high school years, an interest that never left him - his personal hero was John Wayne and he always tried to live by the cowboy code. His interest in serving in the military began during time spent in the Arlington Heights High ROTC program and watching the aircraft at Carswell AFB in Fort Worth and, to follow his lifelong love of airplanes, he joined the U.S. Air Force in January 1960.

He was posted to the following bases in the U.S. during his 20-year career: Lackland AFB/San Antonio; Amarillo AFB/Amarillo; Scott AFB/Illinois; Blytheville AFB/Blytheville, Ark.; Andrews AFB/Washington, D.C.; Travis AFB/Vacaville, Calif.; and Barksdale AFB/Bossier City, La. He was chosen to serve as a member of the ground crew for the Presidential Fleet responsible for Air Force One at Travis AFB in Washington D.C., during the Johnson and Nixon presidencies.

He was also posted to the following bases outside the U.S. during his career: Clark AFS/Philippines, which included then-secret missions into Laos and Thailand; Thule AFB/Thule, Greenland; and Camron Bay AFB/Vietnam. He was a decorated Vietnam veteran and retired from the USAF in 1980 after 20 years' service, followed by a second career with Nalco Chemical in Louisiana and East Texas.

Chuck retired from Nalco Chemical in 1996 and shortly thereafter joined a friend and co-worker at Nalco who had begun a new business, York Antiques in Longview. He retired from his position as floor manager there in 2003.

In 1962, while stationed in Illinois, Chuck married Barbara Gail Page, with whom he had two children, Rick and Lisa. After their divorce, he moved to Tyler and married his high school sweetheart, Judy Lea Warnick in 2003.

Chuck was a member of the Overton Masonic Lodge, the Vietnam Veterans of America/Tyler Chapter, the Welcome Home Soldier group in Tyler, and the Patriot Guard of East Texas. He participated in many volunteer and fund-raising programs for these organizations and others throughout the years to the benefit of families as well as organizations which offer support to military veterans, women and children. His interest in collecting guns, along with his membership in the NRA, made him a strong proponent of personal defense and he taught many people, both men and women, to handle firearms safely and to shoot accurately.

A lifelong friend, ex-band mate and fan of Delbert McClinton and his music, Chuck always said Delbert's song, "I Had a Real Good Time," should be his exit line. His natural curiosity, mischievous nature and warm smile could light up a room with very little effort and he always left a positive impression wherever he went.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Judy Lea Warnick Highsmith; his son, Rick Highsmith and wife Kathy of Bossier City, La.; his daughter, Lisa Highsmith Parker of Kilgore; his stepdaughter, Andrea Hyndman and husband Steve of San Mateo, Calif.; his stepson, Bruce Williams and wife Rachel of Sutherlin, Ore.; his sister, Sherry Crouch of Fort Worth; his aunt, Gladys Friedholm of Baton Rouge, La.; his grandchildren, Ashley Highsmith Dean and husband Toney, Jessica Parker, Cody Parker, John Paul Cooley and Bianca Highsmith; his great-grandchildren, Kristian Dean, A.J. Dean and Jordynn Parker; his stepgrandchildren, Hattie Lea Williams and Nicholas Hyndman; and nieces, nephews, cousins and friends too numerous to mention, as well as his ex-wife, Barbara Page Highsmith, of Kilgore. Chuck always made friends easily wherever he went and was a steadfast friend to be counted on in any situation. His smile, ready wit, kindness and loyalty will be missed by his family and friends everywhere.

An avid hunter and fisherman for many years, Chuck was diagnosed with bladder cancer in February 2008 and suffered recurrences in March 2009 and January 2010. He passed away peacefully at Hospice HomePlace in Tyler on March 25, 2010, and he will be remembered during a chapel service at Tyler Memorial Funeral Home on Monday, May 29, 2010, at 10:30 a.m., with burial later that day in the Circle of Honor at Laurel Land Cemetery in Fort Worth following a graveside military service. Viewing will be held from 9 to 10:30 a.m., immediately preceding the service.

He requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to either the Tyler Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America or to the NRA to help continue to support the defense of our Second Amendment rights.

Arrangements under the direction of Tyler Memorial Funeral Home - Cemetery & Mausoleum, Tyler, TX.