Charles Emanuel Durbin Sr.

He was born on July 19,1943, in Bardstown, Kentucky to the late Curtis L. Durbin, Sr and Anna Lena Durbin.

Charley is survived by his wife Carol Riley Durbin of fifty-seven years; three sons, Chuck, Jeff (Jeanne), Kevin; daughter, Angie Johnson (Chris); five grandchildren, Chelsey, Riley, Kirstyn, Kelsey and Nathan of Pensacola, Florida and five great grandchildren whom all loved their poppee.

Charley was raised in a large family of four brothers and five sisters. He was a devoted follower of Christ due to his upbringing saying the rosary every night. He was a member at St. Jude's Catholic Church.

He proudly served in the Army National Guards for six years, and he valued his service highly. Charley later moved to Joliet, Illinois in August 1966 where he met his best friend and beautiful wife Carol of Joliet. He then became employed with the Department of Corrections for ten years. He received recognition for being instrumental in providing support and starting the pre-release program at Stateville Penitentiary. His family then moved to Pensacola, Florida in 1975 where he raised and enjoyed his beautiful family. Charley retired as a supervisor from Champion International Paper Corporation. After his retirement, at age fifty-five, he spent countless hours working in his yard and enjoyed watching and feeding his turtles from his pond. Charley's hobby was bike-riding, and he was also an avid and dedicated Florida Gators Fan. He never missed a chance to cheer for the Florida Gators as he often sported orange and blue with his hats. His passion was his writing. He says that this was one of the natural abilities that his mom had left him. His memoirs entitled, "A Long Journey from Bardstown," which was published in 2008 and was forwarded to the Library of Congress in which he received excellent reviews. He always said that he wanted to share his adventures with everyone. Charley was an American Legion member, and he also belonged to the Pensacola's Author Club. If you knew Charley, he was full of energy, goofy, and a jokester. He loved to make other people laugh.

A thank you to Hospice and those who provided care and support from Homestead Village.

"You will forever be in our hearts, loved and remembered always."

In a lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to ARC Gateway, a cause close to his heart. Charley always said that his son Kevin, who was born with down syndrome, changed his life and he would be his stepping stones to Heaven.

A visitation for Charles will be held Thursday, August 21, 2025 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Eastern Gate Memorial Funeral Home, 1985 West Nine Mile Road, Pensacola, FL 32534. A funeral service will occur Thursday, August 21, 2025 at 6:00 PM, 1985 West Nine Mile Road, Pensacola, FL 32534. A committal service with military honors will occur Friday, August 22, 2025 at 10:00 AM at Barrancas National Cemetery, 1 Cemetery Rd, Pensacola, FL 32508.