Charlene Hearn Speed

An avid artist and painter, Charlene “Chaz”, lived a long and meaningful life—one shaped by hard work, strong convictions, compassion for others, and above all, her faith in Jesus Christ. She was a woman who believed that how we live our lives matters, and she did her best to live according to the principles she learned as a child and strengthened throughout her many years.

One passage of Scripture held a special place in her heart. In her memoirs, she quoted Philippians 2:1–5, which calls Christians to be united in love, to put aside selfish ambition, to value others above themselves, and to have “the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”

Those words were more than Scripture to Charlene. They were a description of how she lived.

As a child, Charlene remembered being taught simple but enduring lessons: never sass your mother; never get up from the table without asking if anyone else wanted something; do a job thoroughly; help someone when they have a difficult task; never lie; never say something intended to hurt another person; and polish your shoes on Saturday.

Those lessons stayed with her. They became part of the character she carried throughout her life.

Charlene understood that caring for people requires more than simply asking how they are. She once wrote, “I’ve learned to listen between the lines, because people don’t usually tell you the ugly parts of their lives. They generally pretend that all is hunky dory, and all their children are perfect. I learned there’s no way to be of service if you don’t spend time with someone so you CAN listen between the lines to learn their needs.”

That ability—to listen between the lines—was one of Charlene’s greatest gifts. She noticed people. She paid attention. She understood that sometimes a smile, a kind word, a helping hand, or simply taking the time to listen could make a difference in someone’s life.

Her life also demonstrated remarkable determination and accomplishment.

Charlene's career started from humble beginnings, but through hard work, intelligence, honesty, and perseverance, she became a successful woman. She spent 31 years with US Contractors, a construction company, and major employer in Brazoria County. She began in the billing department and, through experience and self-education, ultimately became comptroller, and the first woman to serve on the Board of Directors.

The company’s guiding principle was “honesty with integrity.”

Charlene did not merely work for a company with that slogan. She embodied it.

She believed in doing things correctly, keeping her word, working hard, and treating people fairly. Her accomplishments were made all the more meaningful because she earned them through determination and a willingness to learn rather than relying on formal credentials. She proved throughout her life that a person can accomplish much through character, discipline, and perseverance.

But perhaps Charlene’s greatest accomplishments were not found in a job title or on a business board. They were found in the lives of the people she loved.

As she grew older, her understanding of life continued to deepen. She wrote about lessons she had learned over the years. She came to understand that she had been given by God the power to choose how she would respond to life.

“The CHOICE IS ALWAYS MINE,” she wrote.

She learned that not everyone would like her, but she did not have to be all things to all people. Instead, she resolved to “try to be a Christian in all things.”

She learned to speak up for herself when necessary, while still choosing her words carefully so as not to offend. She learned to smile, wave, and speak to people because, as she wrote, “It may be the only positive stroke a person gets that day.”

She learned that friends deserved her time, because people are more important than doing some insignificant job.

She believed that life was more enjoyable when everyone had a chance to win. She learned the importance of saying “I love you.” And she came to believe that it is never too late to learn more about the Bible and to share that knowledge with someone else.

That was Charlene.

She was strong, but she was compassionate. She was independent, but she cared deeply about others. She had convictions, but she continued to learn and grow. She worked hard, but she understood that people were more important than work. And as the years passed, her faith became an increasingly important part of who she was.

Her faith was not simply something she professed. It was something she tried to practice—in the way she treated people, the way she worked, the way she raised her family, the way she faced life’s difficulties, and the way she sought to help others.

Charlene was preceded in death by her devoted husband, Keith Speed; her parents, Charles and Barbara Hearn; her brothers and sisters, Beth Dean, Sonny Hearn, Martha Swint, David Hearn, Barbara Hearn, and Linda Hearn; and her grandchild, William Cayer.

She leaves behind a family who will carry her memory forward: her children, Carole Small and fiancé Rick, Gordon Duncan and wife Lori, Arthur Cayer and wife Pamela, Gwen Reed and husband Terry, Stuart Cayer and wife Sharon, and Carrie Campbell and husband Walter; her stepchildren, Kevin Speed and wife Susan, and Sean Speed and wife Tricia; her brother, James Hearn; her grandchildren, Ryan Joslin, Cody Joslin, Matthew Taylor, Kristen Cayer, Joseph Cayer, Kyle Campbell, and Kayce Campbell, and great-grandchildren, Leo, Mila, Eliza, and Wyatt.

For those who knew Charlene, her absence will be deeply felt. They will remember her, and they will remember her faith.

Charlene spent her life learning what it meant to follow Christ, and in the end, the words she chose to preserve in her memoirs perhaps say more about her life than anything else:

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”

And for those who loved her, there is comfort in knowing that the woman who spent her life seeking to follow Christ has now gone home to be with Him.

Her work is finished. Her faith remains. And, her legacy lives on in those who loved her.