Charlotte Grissom Brelsford

Charlotte grew up in Longview and graduated from Longview High School. She graduated from Hockaday Junior College in Dallas and was a Pi Beta Phi at the University of Texas at Austin. She was married to Dr. Homer Gates Brelsford of Eastland, Texas. During the course of his career in medicine, they lived in Philadelphia, Dallas, and Galveston and settled back in Tyler.

Charlotte was a long-time member of the First Presbyterian Church in Tyler. As an art major, she loved her involvement in art projects with the Junior Leagues in Tyler, Galveston, Dallas and Houston. She was a proud member of the DAR and was one of the founding members of the Junior Garden Club of Tyler.

Charlotte cherished her role as a member of the Art Advisory Council of UT Tyler. Earlier, she was active

in the Texas Rose Festival and the Women’s Symphony League. She was a member of

Willow Brook Country Club in Tyler and of her beloved Cherokee Club of Lakeport. Some of her fondest memories were of the wonderful times her family spent at Lake Cherokee.

Charlotte’s family fondly remembers the eventful years in Galveston when Dr. Brelsford was in training for plastic surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch. She was honored to have been tutored as an intern for Medical Sculpting there under the renowned Joe Paterouski. She practiced medical sculpting for the patients of plastic surgeons, creating prosthetic pieces for victims of trauma, burns and cancer. She also did some commissioned sculptures.

Charlotte is survived by children, Gates Brelsford (Driedra), Dr. William Brelsford (Peggy) of Tyler, and Carol Brelsford of Quinlan; her grandchildren Kate Brelsford Wheeler (Barrett) of Ft Worth, daughter Caroline, and George Brelsford, Jr. (Michelle) of Dallas, step-grandchildren Steven and Katy Ullrich and their children Hunter and Paige Ullrich, of Baton Rouge; cousin James Searcy Birdsong of Dallas and Longview; cousins Susan Brelsford Chipman (Steve) of Tyler, Anna Brelsford Coiner of San Antonio, Mark Brelsford (Joellyn) of Tyler, and Linda Brelsford McCutchen of Houston.

Charlotte was preceded by her parents, her ex-husband, Dr. Gates Brelsford, Virginia Brelsford Hutcheson of Houston and Tyler, the Reverend Diane Brelsford of Seattle, Robert Gordon Brelsford of Palm Springs, California and Blanche Birdsong of London, UK.

A celebration of life service will be held at Christ Episcopal Church in Tyler on Monday, December 13th, at 11am. Following the service, the family will gather to receive friends at the fellowship hall. The burial will be a private graveside service at Memory Park Cemetery in Longview, to be held later.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Children’s Village of Tyler, the Hospice of East Texas (Tyler), the Christ Episcopal Church Memorial Fund (Tyler), or to a non-profit of your choice. The family extends their sincere gratitude and deep appreciation to Charlotte’s devoted caregivers—Carolyn Dennison, Velma Harris, Darlene Odom, Tina Ward, Rose Hastings and Sharon Choice—for their loving

care and attention.