Charles passed away peacefully on June 6, 2019 due to complications with Parkinson’s Disease. His longtime partner and loving husband, Aaron Ellisor, was with him when he made his transition at their lovely beachfront home in Bermuda Beach, Galveston, Texas. The sound of the surf, the powerful wind, and beautiful sky was a perfect place to experience this release.
Charles was born on July 18, 1939 in Shreveport, LA. He attended Fair Park High School where he was an active member of R.O.T.C. and after that, graduated from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, where he made many life-long friends. He joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in Fort Hood, TX.
Charles had wonderful memories of his college days at L.S.U. His lifelong friends would talk for days about their experiences. Special love to Corky, Walter, ToTo, Bob and Jim, and all his LSU buddies.
After graduating from college, he became a Draftsman at Humble Oil & Refining Company in Houston, TX. He was co-owner of National Business Forms and National Graphics with longtime business partner and friend, Jim Jump. He then created Marion Graphics, named after his beloved mother, which later became known as The Marion Group/Marion Integrated Marketing with his partner Aaron Ellisor. The Marion Group was a very successful advertising and marketing agency that offered exemplary customer service and extravagant concepts, designs and programs for Houston’s top businesses. Although a local agency, Marion created marketing and ad campaigns that were used all over the world. Over the years, Marion became one of the premier agencies in Houston and won many awards for outstanding achievement locally and internationally. Marion Integrated Marketing continues its work today under new ownership and has expanded to several cities in Texas.
Charles was involved in many charitable organizations and one of his proudest accomplishments was being President of The Assistance Fund. The organization was created to help pay insurance premiums for people diagnosed with AIDS. The assistance clients received paid COBRA insurance premiums after they lost their jobs, due to this devastating illness. It literally gave them hope and greatly needed funding for treatment at a time when the diagnosis of AIDS was a death sentence for most people.
Charles was passionate about his religious beliefs and was a devoted supporter and member of Unity Church of Christianity in Houston. Charles was involved in helping create and execute many fundraising efforts as the church expanded into what it is today. He also loved his visits to Unity Village and was very happy to be involved in helping in the Fountain Restoration Project and the Tower Project.
He was an aspiring Artist, loved impressionism and mastered a style similar to famous artist Henri Toulouse Lautrec. Charles loved to travel the world. He loved his wonderful vacations to France (Paris, Marseille, Toulouse), London, Hawaii, Scotland, Ireland, Spain, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil and Italy. Traveling with Charles and Aaron was always fun. Charles had a keen wit about him. His little zingers would keep everyone smiling. Things you would not expect him to say, just popped out! Charles and Aaron kept people laughing and they truly were a great comedy team. Charles played it straight and Aaron would play the dizzy blonde! After 39 years together, they basically had the routine down. Their love was strong, unconditional and filled with joy and life.
Charles was an inspiration to those he knew and was loved by all. He was a kind, gentle, compassionate and loving husband, brother, uncle and friend. He was a brilliant business man, with the great ability to lead his organizations to the highest achievements, always displaying integrity and strength. Charles leaves a legacy to those in his life and was a great example of how to live life, always leading with love, compassion, inspiration and stalwart of faith.
Charles is preceded in death by his Mother, Marion Sanders, Father O.B. (Pick) Freeman, Maternal Grandparents, Delma and Grace Fletcher, Paternal Grandparents, Charles and Ernestine Cline, and very special Aunt, Mary Lou Daniel, Father and Mother In-Law, Robert Oliver Ellisor and Garnis Mae Roberts Ellisor.
He is survived by his loving husband, Aaron Ellisor, and sisters, Janice Burt, Eugenia Jackson and Linda Dudley, brothers Tommy Freeman, Donald Glenn Sanders, brother-in-law, Lynton Ellisor, sister-in-law, Beverly Garner, as well by numerous nephews, nieces, cousins and friends. James J. Jump and all his family have been a big part of Charles’ extended family – they are the original Charlie’s Monkeys.
A Celebration of Life will commence at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, June 22, 2019, at the Unity Church of Christianity, 2929 Unity Drive, Houston, TX. Reception to follow. The family requests in lieu of flowers, offerings be made to Unity Church of Christianity https://unityhouston.org.
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