Charlie Pruett was born in Farmersville, Texas on May 24, 1923 to Henry Benford and Mary Etta (Hilliard) Pruett, the 5th of 6 children. He passed away on April 12, 2022 in the hospital in Bedford, Texas at the age of 98.
Charlie enlisted in the Army - Air Force in 1945, proudly serving in World War II as a radio man in Honolulu, Hawaii in the 614th Aircraft Control Warning Squadron, achieving the rank of Corporal.
After returning to Farmersville, Charlie married Viva Mae Myrick on January 7, 1948. They lived in Farmersville for a year as Charlie hauled milk to the dairy for the local dairy farmers. Charlie & Viva then moved to Dallas, and he went to work for Chance Vought (later Vought Aeronautics and LTV), where he continued his career for 36 years. With hard work, despite not having a college degree, he achieved the position of Superintendent at their VOMC (Vought Overhaul Modification Center) division. In 1968, Charlie earned the first SCORE Award (Supervisory Competitive Operations Review & Evaluation) for overall outstanding performance of his department, exceeding all other departments and also earned the President’s Award.
The birth of their daughter, Debbie, brought new joy. Charlie thoroughly enjoyed watching her grow up. He was so proud when she graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and then a master’s degree in finance.
Charlie was always a hard worker with a giving heart, ready to help friends and family complete whatever task there might be. He even completed a course on Air Conditioning & Refrigeration so that he could work on his air conditioner and also help others with theirs.
In 1967, Charlie & Viva bought land in Verona, and he became a weekend farmer/rancher. Running cattle, planting and baling hay, and taking care of his animals was hard work, but he enjoyed being “out in the country.” And, spending time in Verona offered the bonus of getting to spend time with several relatives who lived in the area.
Charlie & Viva moved to North Richland Hills in January 1995, to be closer for all the activities of their very active grandchildren. After his retirement, his greatest joy, along with Viva, was spending time with their grandchildren, Steven and Jenny. They also found time to join the North Richland Hills Recreation Center, where they not only enjoyed being active but also found many friends. Charlie volunteered to help with many things at the Rec Center, including grilling hot dogs each year for their annual open house. Both he & Viva were honored to be asked to be part of the group that helped with the planning for the new Rec Center when it re-located.
Sadly, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease several years ago and it had recently caused a significant decline.
Charlie was grateful for his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, often commenting that the good Lord had been good to him. His was a life well lived.
Charlie was preceded in death by his parents and his 5 siblings.
Survivors include his wife of 74 years, Viva of North Richland Hills, daughter Debbie Dodson and her husband David of North Richland Hills, grandson Steven Dodson and his wife Casee of Dallas, granddaughter Jenny Dodson of Dallas, great grandchildren Everly, Hayes, and Larkin Dodson of Dallas, sister-in-law Pauline Todd of Verona, brother-in-law Aubrey Myrick of Carrollton, and many nieces and nephews that he dearly loved.
The funeral will be held at the Hurst’s Fielder-Baker Funeral Home in Farmersville, Texas on Monday, April 18, 2022 at 2:00. Burial will follow at the Blue Ridge Cemetery.