Growing up in South Dallas, Charles became
athletic through hanging out with his brothers and friends
at the Compton Citadel Salvation Army.
One day a vivacious young woman walked into his
life, capturing his heart, and Myrna Watson became the
love of his life, forging a path together with her that lasted
for a lifetime.
In addition to Charles being a great basketball
player, his children and grandchildren never had much
luck defeating him in playing pool, ping pong, or any
other sport for that matter.
Having a love for fast cars, he would often take his
family to the Devil’s Bowl Speedway. When NASCAR
became a major sport, he purchased season passes at the
Texas Motor Speedway.
Charles and Myrna participated in a timeshare for
usage of a Winnebago RV, which they drove on family
excursions to Galveston. While enjoying the Gulf Coast,
they would always make sure to stop by and eat a seafood
meal at Guido’s, on Seawall Boulevard.
In a bygone era, when the Central Hockey League
had teams in both Dallas and Fort Worth, Charles would
take his family to the Fair Park Coliseum, especially when
the two rivals squared off, the Dallas Blackhawks and the
Fort Worth Fire. On “Ten Cent Beer Night”, if a hockey
game broke out amidst the fights, that would be especially
entertaining for Charles.
He enjoyed taking his family to eat BBQ ribs, at
“Bob White’s BBQ”, near the Spillway at Whiterock
Lake. They would also visit “Keller’s Hamburgers” on
Samuell Boulevard, to enjoy a burger, tater tots, and ice
cold beer. The poignant memories of these simple
pleasures, provide places in the heart that linger still.
As a contractor for the Dallas Morning News,
Charles worked seven nights a week, for forty seven
years. During the daytime, he would often find
inspiration, and a respite from the daily grind, while
spending time in his bass boat on Lake Tawakoni, his
home away from home.
Charles cherished the times spent with his Dad and
Mom, Willie Guy and Mary, with his brothers, Billy and
Larry, and his sisters, Pat and Donna. He would also take
Myrna, Laura, and Jerry Don, to spend weekends at
Tawakoni with their Watson family, with Audie and Opal
being the heartbeat that merged the two families together.
Just mentioning West Tawakoni, the Two-Mile
Bridge, or the Caddo Barge, evokes poignant memories,
tugging at our heartstrings to this present day.
As his family grew, Charles cherished his times of
teaching the sport of fishing to his grandsons Jeremy,
Nathan, Aaron, Jacob, and Jordan.
Always one to show kindness to animals, stray
dogs at the lake would always gravitate to Charlie Leggett
and the Watson clan, to receive their nurturing care.
Later in life, perhaps to gain companionship and a
camaraderie with friends, Charles joined the Masons, at
the East Dallas Lodge.
In his senior years, we would discover that Charles
had a green thumb, as he nurtured lovely flowers and
hanging plants on his patio. He also took up
woodworking, making birdhouses and working on various
projects for family members. He enjoyed spending time
working with his tools, while listening to traditional
country music, and relaxing to enjoy a cold beer.
Charles was a humble man, given to altruism,
although he would never sound his own horn. He gave to
the Salvation Army, and the Scottish Rite Hospital, he
gave away cars, and boats, but everything he gave was
done in secret. If you tried to speak of anything he had
done, he would always seek to minimize his efforts,
saying “oh, it wasn’t much”.
He was much beloved, soft spoken, a gentle and
tender man. Charles showed us how to be a genuinely
nice person, and we’ll feel a sense of gratitude, as we
reflect upon these poignant places in the heart, while
continuing along our life journey.
**********************************
The family wishes to offer our gratitude, with
thoughts of loving-kindness, to the pallbearers:
Jeremy Brown
Nathan Brown
Aaron Brown
Jacob Leggett
Jordan Leggett
Ryan Leggett
Robbie Shubert
We also wish to extend heartfelt gratitude to the
Officiant, Reverent Aaron White, of First Unitarian
Church of Dallas.
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