Charles August Schnabel Jr.

Born February 14, 1932, in San Antonio, Texas, Charles devoted much of his life to public service at the state and national levels.

Charles grew up in a home on Avenue A, where his family’s love of God and ministry took root. His father began holding church services in their home, and when the family later moved to Avenue H, the services moved with them. As the congregation grew, his father purchased the house next door for the church. Eventually, the congregation outgrew these early locations and moved to its present home.

When Charles was seventeen, his family moved to Austin, where his parents, Charles and Alma Schnabel, continued their ministry with the Church of God movement. Charles remained a lifelong member and served for many years on the Board of Trustees, helping guide the church through seven locations, the construction of two new buildings, and the purchase of its current home. The Schnabel family remains connected to the church today, and through Charles, many people joined the congregation and became lifelong friends.

He went on to attend the University of Texas at Austin, earning a bachelor’s degree in bacteriology and a master’s degree in public administration.

Charles’s extraordinary career in Texas government began while he was still a student at the University of Texas. In 1953, he began working at the Texas Capitol, initially carrying and reading official messages from the Senate to the House of Representatives. A few years later, Lieutenant Governor Ben Ramsey asked him to serve temporarily as acting Secretary of the Texas Senate. What was expected to be an interim assignment became a remarkable 23-year tenure.

From 1955 until 1977, Charles served under Lieutenant Governors Ben Ramsey, Preston Smith, Ben Barnes, and Bill Hobby and worked with generations of Texas lawmakers. His surviving correspondence with Barbara Jordan, preserved in the Barbara C. Jordan Archives, reflects his place within an important period of Texas political history. He also served as president of the National Association of Clerks and Secretaries, extending his leadership beyond Texas.

After leaving the Senate, Charles spent seven years as executive assistant commissioner of the Texas Rehabilitation Commission. In the mid-1980s, Congressman Charlie Wilson recruited him to join his congressional staff, where Charles became his chief of staff and trusted adviser.

That work placed Charles near the center of the American effort to support the Afghan mujahideen during the Soviet-Afghan War, events later chronicled in George Crile’s bestselling book Charlie Wilson’s War and the motion picture it inspired. His work required him to obtain top-secret CIA clearance. Charles later spoke publicly about this once-secret chapter of his life in a recorded oral-history interview. He traveled to Afghanistan 12 times, meeting with regional commanders and Afghan fighters.

After returning to Austin, Charles began another successful chapter as a consultant and lobbyist. Beginning in 1991, he represented environmental, insurance, business, health, and professional interests before Texas state government. He became especially well known within the dental community for his advocacy on behalf of pediatric dentistry.

The Texas Academy of Pediatric Dentistry described Charles as its longtime “advocate, voice, lobbyist and friend” and presented him with its 2017–2018 Lifetime Achievement Award. Although he was not a dentist, his advocacy gave dental professionals and the children and families they served a knowledgeable and trusted voice in the legislative process.

Charles’s commitment to service extended beyond government. His civic affiliations included leadership with the Heart Association, the Northwest Austin Kiwanis Club, and the Austin Woods and Waters Club. He also served on the executive committee of the National Legislative Conference and on the boards of the German-American Farm Mutual Insurance Company and the Manville Water Supply Corporation.

Away from the Capitol, Charles was a devoted Texas Longhorn, sportsman, and outdoorsman. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, rummikub, squash, and spending time on his farm near Austin, where his bird dogs had plenty of room to run and his grandchildren played daily.

Charles shared a chapter of his life with his first wife, Nadine, with whom he raised their children, Mark and Beth.

He later found love and companionship with his wife, Diana, and embraced her children, Senaida, Emmanuel, Sonya, and Ti, as family. Together, they shared many celebrations, everyday moments, and treasured memories.

Charles is survived by his wife, Diana; his children, Mark and Beth; Diana’s children, Senaida, Emmanuel, Sonya, and Ti; his grandchildren, Madison, Josiah, Ava, Aliyana, Nayeli, Myles, and Mia; his sister, Charlene; and his niece and nephew, Karla and Greg. His granddaughter Addison did not have the opportunity to meet him, but he undoubtedly would have loved and treasured her. Charles was preceded in death by his older brother, Jerry, who lost his life while serving in World War II.

Charles lived a remarkable life that stretched from the Texas Capitol to Washington and the mountains of Afghanistan. But the history he witnessed and the positions he held were only part of who he was. His legacy can also be measured by the trust people placed in him, the friendships he maintained, the causes he championed, and the family he loved.

Above all, Charles will be remembered as a husband, father, loving Papa, mentor, friend, sportsman, and proud Texan. His influence will endure in the institutions he served, the people whose lives he touched, the stories he left behind, and most of all in the family who loved him.