Charles Dwayne Harral

We feel an immense loss and heartache as we announce the death of our loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle and friend, Charles Dwayne Harral, on March 22, 2025, at the age of 92. We are also filled with thanksgiving for having had so many years to cherish sharing life with such an adventuresome, generous, and friendly man. He truly never knew a stranger. Dwayne, as everyone called him, was born on September 19,1932 in Fort Stockton, Texas in his family’s home to Vida Anderson Harral and George Harral. He was the younger of two sons. His brother, Gene, was a year older.

He was a proud graduate of Fort Stockton High School where he played football and basketball and marched in the band. He graduated from high school in 1951 and from Texas Tech University in 1954, with a degree in animal science. On July 16th, 1953, he married the love of his life, Mary Hale, also of Fort Stockton. They lived their days together with joy and fervently supported one another for seventy-one plus years.

The energetic couple’s first four years of marriage were busy ones and kept them very mobile. They lived in Lubbock where Dwayne finished his last year in college, back to Fort Stockton for Mary while Dwayne did basic training in the army, to Great Lakes Military Training Center in the Chicago area where Dwayne served as a quarter master, and to San Antonio for Dwayne to take a job as an Assistant Sales Manager for Roeglein Meats in 1957. In those four years, their two beloved sons , Glen and Dudley were born. Glen in Fort Stockton in 1955 and Dudley at Great Lakes Military Base in 1956. Their move to San Antonio in 1957 would be where they made their home, grounded their lives together and worked together in faith and unconditional love for the next sixty-eight years.

Dwayne’s career was a very versatile one. While continuing to serve in the National Guard through 1961, he began a new business, L & H Meatpacking Company, with partner Al Leonard in 1960. During his years working as a meatpacker, he worked very long hours and often worked seven days a week. He remained a meatpacker until 1985 when he went into the Cattle Feeding Business and joined in his sons’ educational toy venture, Playworks. He served two professional organizations as President during his career, Southwest Meatpackers Association and the Texas Cattle Feeders Association. He retired in 2002.

Dwayne always was an avid outdoorsman and found time to enjoy deer and elk hunting, making several trips to his lease outside of Fort Stockton, to Vermejo Park in New Mexico, and to Wyoming on a horseback riding/hunting trip through the snow in 1981. He enjoyed snow skiing and taught his grandsons, Charles and Nick, how to ski by following his lead down the slopes. Mary and Dwayne enjoyed wonderful trips together to Australia, Europe, and one to Alaska in January 1997 to view the Aurora Borealis. Their most amazing venture was a road trip in their jeep to the Arctic Circle in summer of 1980.

In retirement, Dwayne and Mary enjoyed a vacation home which they built in their favorite spot in Cloudcroft, New Mexico in 2005. They cherished their days there together in summer, fall, winter and spring and most especially summers when they could escape the San Antonio heat. They generously entertained family and friends in their home the majority of the time.

Dwayne was always a devoted man who maintained an attitude of positivity and joy whether in times of serenity or challenges. He understood the truth that faith maintains us despite the trials in life and modeled confidence in God for his family. He served the Lord with gladness for forty-seven years at Alamo Heights Disciple of Christ Church and then at Northern Hills United Methodist Church from 2005 until his passing.

Dwayne is survived by his wife Mary Harral, his two sons, Glen Harral (partner David Hammar), Dudley Harral (Debbie); his grandsons, Charles Harral (Jenny), Nicholas Harral (Bianca); and eight great grandchildren, Trenton Smith, Charlotte Smith, Nico Harral, Dalton Harral, Evelyn Smith, Brennan Smith, Lincoln Harral and Zoe Harral as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Vida and George; and his brother, Gene.

Dwayne’s celebration of life service will be on Thursday, April 3rd at 2:00 P.M. at Northern Hills United Methodist Church, 3703 N Loop 1604 E. Pastor Bob Allen to officiate.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Northern Hills United Methodist Church, the American Cancer Society or a charity of your choice.