Charles Douglas Way

Charles Douglas Way was born on July 18, 1928 in Monterey, Tennessee to Frederick Ray Way, Sr. and Mary Etta (Carlisle) Way. Charles, an accomplished athlete in high school, joined the U S. Navy at age 17 and served his country until retiring after 30 years as Chief Petty Officer.  Charles spent his entire career in the Medical field, as a Hospital Medical Corpsman, also spending some time as a Marine Corps Medic.

Charles Way was predeceased by his beloved wife of 52 years, Lorraine Ward Way.  Beginning their romance as pen pals, the couple fell in love during their 3-year correspondence, and on the day, they first met in person, an eager Charles proposed to Lorraine on the front porch of her Dayton, Texas home. They were married October 5, 1950 until her death on October 13, 2002. Charles and Lorraine were stationed in various military bases from Rhode Island, North Carolina, Key West, Corpus Christi, as they grew their family of five children, eventually settling in Baytown, Texas after Charles retired from the Navy. Charles continued his medical career as a Medical Technologist for Tidelands Hospital in Channelview, and Gulf Cost Hospital for many years.  He joined other physicians in founding Medi-Plex, where he served as Director of the Laboratory until his retirement.

Charles is remembered by granddaughter Kathryn as “the man who taught me how to tie my shoes while singing me Hank Williams Jr. songs” and the same cool grandpa who “had a ton of tattoos. A huge battleship on his chest, sparrows holding a banner…the face of a woman who was decidedly not my grandmother on his bicep with her name simply crossed out with a single line, and my grandmother's name lovingly scripted directly below it.”  Charles made every theater performance, football game, softball game, and dance recital he could while also regaling his loved ones with stories of his family life in the beautiful Tennessee Smokey Mountains. Pappaw, as his grandchildren called him, could also tell a great ghost story.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents, siblings Geneva, Pauline, Sarah Clay, Frederick Ray and James; and a grandson Kaelen Way. He leaves behind many to cherish his memory, his children Patrick and wife Anne, Jefferson and wife June, Kenneth, Kathy, Russell and wife Tina; his grandchildren Kristen Way, Kathryn Way, Madelyn Way, Tiffany Lockett, Tim Mahaffey, Taylor Mahaffey; great-grandchildren, Kennedy, Holden, Griffen, Landon, Logan, and RJ. Charles has two sisters who also survive, Mary Katherine and Anna Rose and his sister-in-law Georgia, all of Tennessee.

A celebration of Charles’ life will be held at 1pm on Saturday, December 2, 2017 in the chapel of Sterling Funeral Home, 602 N. Main Street in Dayton, Texas. A graveside service and committal will immediately follow in Palms Memorial Park on Highway 146 in Dayton.

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