Charles V. Court, Jr.

About growing up in Stafford in the 1930s and 1940s, Charles said, "I knew everyone, and most of their dogs' names." Charles claimed to be the first streaker in Stafford. Still a small boy, his mother had gotten angry with him and he jumped out of the bathtub and ran naked to his daddy's general store, two blocks away. A few years later he and his brother J.C. solved the mystery of who was stealing their cow's milk. The boys climbed onto their neighbor's roof to keep watch all night. What they discovered was their own pig suckling their cow.

Probably the greatest tragedy of Charles' life was the death of his older sister Margaret Mary from appendicitis in 1942. She was 13 years old.

Charles graduated from Missouri City High School in 1952. He attended the University of Houston for three semesters. At that time, his dad's hardware store burned to the ground. Charles left school to help rebuild the business.

He served active duty in the U.S. Army from 1956 to 1958, and was stationed in Germany. He married Roberta Jean Jester in 1959. Also in 1959, Charles and J.C. purchased Court Hardware in Stafford from their father, C. V. Court, Sr. The brothers ran the store together for 41 years. Charles continued to run it as sole owner for another 10 years, after which he sold the business to his son, Chris.

Charles was a lifelong member of Holy Family Catholic Church. As a boy, he was an altar server for about 10 years. He later taught CCD, was Bazaar Chairman for many years, served on parish council, on the library committee, and on the finance committee. He was the auctioneer for many years for the Holy Family bazaar, and for other churches and schools.

Charles and Jean, along with Ted and Nancy Baker, were sponsors of the Holy Family high school CYO for 6 years. It was a very special, formative experience for many young people.

Charles served his community in many ways. He was a Director on the board of Texas Commerce Bank and on the board of Handy Hardware. He served six years on the Fort Bend Water C & ID, 5 ½ years as president. He was instrumental in getting water and sewer installed in Missouri City Estates.

In 1973, he coached the Cubs in the Missouri City Little League. They did so well the Fort Bend Mirror began calling them "The Green Machine."

In 1992, though his own children had all graduated, Charles served as president of the Stafford High School Athletic Booster Club. When the boy’s basketball team made the playoffs, Charles got the whole community enthused. He pulled people together to raise money, and chartered buses to take our fans to the regional and state championships. Stafford brought a big crowd to those games.

Charles loved people. He seemed oblivious of social status and would talk as easily and unselfconsciously with the CEO of a large corporation as with a man needing help to finance a refrigerator. He was extremely generous in very personal ways. He quietly helped many, many people over the years. And he especially loved babies. A common sight on a Saturday in Court Hardware was Charles holding the baby of two strangers while demonstrating to them the operation of the new lawnmower they were about to buy.

Charles is survived by Jean Court, his wife of 64 years; by his children and their spouses, Debbie and Chip Court, Caroline and Chris Court, Jennifer and Brian Hammer, and Jan and Saul Keeton; by sister and brother-in-law Mary Louise and Wayne Ivey; and by fourteen grandchildren, their spouses, and one great-granddaughter.

A visitation will be held on Monday, April 22 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the chapel at Earthman Southwest Funeral Home, 12555 South Kirkwood Road in Stafford, with the Recitation of the Holy Rosary at 7:00 p.m.

A Funeral Mass will be held on Tuesday, April 23 at 11:00 a.m. at Holy Family Catholic Church, 1510 5th Street in Missouri City.

The Rite of Committal will follow, via funeral procession to Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery in Houston.

Following the Rite of Committal, all are invited to greet the family during a reception to be held at the Court’s home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels, to Houston Hospice, or to Holy Family Catholic Church.