Charles Robert Canterbury

Charles Robert Canterbury of Tyler, Texas passed away on April 2, 2024. He was born on February 5, 1939 in Kilgore, Texas to the late Elsie Pudwell Canterbury and Dr. Samuel Luther Canterbury, Jr.

Charles is survived by his wife of 52 years, Elizabeth T. Canterbury; his daughter Christy Canterbury, his son-in-law Kirk Tashjian and his newborn grandson, Francis Foster Tashjian; and his sister, Diane Miller. He is preceded in passing by his infant son, Charles Patrick Canterbury, and his beloved brother, Samuel Luther Canterbury, III.

Father, engineer, outdoor enthusiast, hunter, fisher and lifelong admirer of East Texas, Charles graduated from Kilgore College then Texas A&M with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He worked in the East Texas oil fields—highly appropriate for a child of Kilgore. His 1957 high school class will lay a brick in his name in the World’s Richest Acre Park in Kilgore.

After college, Charles worked for General Dynamics at a Navy facility developing and testing rockets, ground-to-air missiles, heat shields and nose cones. His work lifted Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin of Apollo 11 off the moon.

He then worked for Lone Star Steel developing oil field equipment before forming his own consulting company. He developed cement finishing plants in San Antonio, Texas and Palmetto, Florida and designed and installed drinking water and sewer systems on the Toledo Bend Reservoir and for various cities and school systems. Charles returned to Mount Pleasant to work for Texas Utilities Generating Company for 18 years, amassing record-breaking, millions of Safe-Man Working Hours.

Then, he then took an early retirement package but did not slow down. Charles took his Series 7 and 63 exams and passed with flying colors. He enjoyed a second career as a stock broker with Edwards D. Jones then Brokers Transaction Services.

Kind, thoughtful and resolutely positive, Charles had a knack for story-telling, original sayings, and lending a helping hand. Family and friends were always at the forefront of his mind, as was his devotion to the Catholic Church. Charles loved driving his family across the USA for summer vacation, and he frequently recruited extended family members to join—the more the merrier.

A rosary and visitation was held at Rader Funeral Home in Kilgore, Texas on Thursday, April 4, 2024. A funeral mass was held on Friday, April 5, 2024 at Christ the King Catholic Church in Kilgore. Charles’ burial followed at Rose Hill Cemetery in Tyler on the same day.

In lieu of flowers, please donate in Charles’ name to his father’s scholarship—for whom the Science and Engineering Building at Kilgore College is named: the Dr. S. L. Canterbury, Jr. Memorial Scholarship. Please make checks payable in the name of the scholarship to the Kilgore College Foundation at 1100 Broadway, Kilgore, Texas 75662 or by selecting the scholarship at giving.kilgore.edu.