- Date Of Birth: October 6, 1931
- Date Of Death: October 18, 2016
- State: New Mexico
Charles W. Durrett, 85 – Is There a Fishin’ Hole in Heaven?
You better believe there is! Charlie’s motto was “onward and upward!” He loved life and lived life with a passion, always with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. From being hauled on a knapsack while his mama was pickin’ cotton, to arguing before the United States Supreme Court, Charlie had a life filled with pursuit and ambition.
Charlie was born on October 6, 1931, in Trinchera, Colorado, and passed away in Alamogordo, New Mexico, on October 18, 2016. His parents were Walter and Lucia (Ward) Durrett, and he was one of seven siblings. They moved to Melrose, NM, and then Portales in his early years. While his parents had little education, they encouraged upper education and the children met expectations. He spent the summers of junior high living in tent camps and building roads with his dad and brothers. In high school he worked as a truck driver for a construction company, as a service station attendant, and as an equipment operator. The family also had a mechanic’s shop in the back of their home. In eighth grade he met Sunnye Gene Lee, a dairy and farmer’s girl. This was also when he decided that he wanted to be an attorney. They dated through high school and married after graduation on September 4, 1950. From 1951 through 1954, he served in the U.S. Army in the Korean War, and discharged as a First Lieutenant. Following discharge, Charlie and Gene lived in Florida, where he started college in the fall. In February of 1955, after experiencing the heat and humidity and high tuition rates, Gene was flown home and Charlie packed up their belongings in a trailer and drove to Portales, New Mexico, where Lisa was born on March 10, 1955.
