Charlotte Eileen Watson

November 7, 1938 – September 9, 2026

Charlotte S. Watson, 87, of Citra and, most recently, Gainesville, Florida, passed away peacefully on September 9, 2026.

Charlotte was born on November 7, 1938, in Nashville, Tennessee, the first daughter of Charles Burton Smith and Walton Smith. She was raised in Nashville and graduated from Hume-Fogg High School in 1956.

After graduating from Hume-Fogg High School in Nashville in 1956, Charlotte married Jimmy. Their marriage ended in 1957. She later moved to Jacksonville Beach, Florida, where she began her career in court reporting. In the 1970s, Charlotte opened her own stenotype school, where she taught others the craft of court reporting and shared her knowledge and experience with aspiring court reporters.

Charlotte built a successful career as a court reporter within the Jacksonville, Florida, judicial system. Her talent, determination, and knowledge of the profession eventually led her to establish her own stenotype school, creating an opportunity to teach and mentor others interested in the field.

During the 1970s, Charlotte also recorded the minutes for the monthly meetings of the DuPont Foundation.

In the 1980s, Charlotte began a sales career with Tura Frames, selling optical frames to opticians throughout a large district in Florida. She later continued her career in sales during the 1990s at Ocala Funeral & Cremation Care.

After retiring, Charlotte made her home in Citra, Florida, while also enjoying time at her mountain home in Tellico Plains, Tennessee. It was during this chapter of her life that she embraced her creativity and artistic talents.

Charlotte worked in many artistic mediums, including oil painting, watercolor, wood burning, and glass etching. She drew much of her inspiration from the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains, creating beautiful forest scenes and renditions of the wildlife and natural surroundings she loved.

Her artwork was celebrated and displayed at the Museum of Appalachia in Clinton, Tennessee, a Smithsonian Affiliate Museum. Her work was also sold through the museum's gift shop, where it gained a following among those who admired her beautiful depictions of the Appalachian landscape and its wildlife.

Charlotte was also an avid gardener and home canner. She took great pride in growing vegetables and preserving food, and she enjoyed passing those skills and traditions down to her family. She taught her daughter, Kem, as well as her great-grandchildren, how to grow vegetables and care for a garden.

Just three months before her passing, Charlotte left special handwritten instructions for her daughter and great-grandchildren for the future—a final expression of the thoughtful and practical way she shared her knowledge with the people she loved.

Charlotte lived a remarkable and varied life. She was a court reporter, teacher, business owner, saleswoman, artist, gardener, and mentor. Throughout each chapter of her life, she continued to learn, create, teach, and share her talents with others.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles Burton Smith, who passed away in 1985, and Walton Smith, who passed away in 2000; her brothers, Charles Smith and Richard “Dickie” Smith; and her husband, Robert Allen Melton, who passed away in 2025.

Charlotte is survived by her sister, Juanita Jordan, 85, of Madison, Tennessee; her daughters, Kemberly “Kem” Melton Felix, 64, of Manchester, Tennessee, and Kristina Melton Dukes, 63, of Citra, Florida; her son-in-law, David Shane Felix, 59; her grandchildren, Taelor Stebbins Manley, 35, and her husband, Cody Manley, 38, of Gainesville, Florida, and Nicholas Sage Felix, 34, of McMinnville, Tennessee; and her great-grandchildren, Cody Manley Jr., 9, and Cabella Manley, 7, of Gainesville, Florida.

Charlotte leaves behind a legacy that extends far beyond her accomplishments. She leaves behind the knowledge she taught, the artwork she created, the gardens she cultivated, and the traditions she passed from one generation to the next. Her handwritten instructions, paintings, and lessons will remain tangible reminders of a woman who believed in sharing what she knew and preparing those she loved for the future.

She will be remembered for her independent spirit, creativity, determination, love of nature, and devotion to her family. From the courtrooms of Jacksonville to the mountains of Tennessee, Charlotte created a life filled with purpose, creativity, and meaningful work.

Her family will forever carry the memories of the woman she was and the many gifts she shared throughout her life.

May Charlotte rest peacefully among the mountains, forests, and beautiful places that inspired her so deeply.

A Committal Service will be held at Forest Lawn Memory Gardens, 5740 South Pine Ave, Ste A, Ocala, FL 34480, US, on September 28, 2026, from 10:00 am to 10:30 am.