Obituary of Charles Irving Houston Jr.

On January 22, 1949, in Charleston, SC, Charles Irving Houston, Jr. was born to the late Charles Houston Sr. and the late Mary Carr Houston. He accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior at an early age and was a faithful member of Centenary United Methodist Church (Charleston, SC) and Macedonia Baptist Church (Boulder, CO). He attended Charleston City Public Schools, graduating from C A Brown High School at the age of 16. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Engineering and a master’s degree in Mathematics, both from Clemson University. He was a part of the IBM workforce for 25 years; he was first employed as a salesman, but through his expertise and staunch professionalism, he ultimately ascended to the position of Project Executive for Commercial Accounts. Charles was a life member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He pledged his commitment to Omega Psi Phi in 1987, becoming a member of the Nu Phi Chapter (Houston, TX). Later, he became a member of the Chi Phi Chapter (Denver, Colorado); he served as its Chaplain for many years and also functioned as the Keeper of Finance for its Holmes Omega Foundation. He cherished Omega Psi Phi, as his life was an embodiment of its cardinal principles: Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance, and Uplift. Charles enjoyed golfing, cycling, and most of all traveling. In 1998, he and Jackie purchased their first RV and began touring the continental United States; they were full-time “RVers” for seven years after retiring. In addition to traversing the US, Charles visited France, Spain, Ireland, Dubai, Ghana, England, Scotland, and Panama. Although Charles and Jackie did not have biological children, they were blessed to have fostered a loving relationship with their goddaughter, Nicole Paredes. Nicole is married to Gonzales Paredes, and together they have four children: Lele, Chyna, Isabella, and Javier. Charles adored all of his family but had a special place in his heart for Lele, Chyna, Isabella, and Javier, who affectionately called him “Papa C.” God graced Charles with peace and eternal rest on Wednesday, August 4, 2021. He was preceded in death by Charles and Mary Houston (parents), and Joyce and Hilliard Moore (older sister and brother-in-law). Left to treasure his memory are Jackie Houston of Pearland, TX (devoted wife of 34 years), Isabel and Wayne Knox of Atlanta, GA (younger sister and brother-in-law), Darryl and Kim Worthy of Pearland, TX (younger brother and sister-in-law), Ruby Moore of Grambling, LA (mother-in-law), Vickie and Darryl Gladney of Arlington, TX (sister-in-law and brother-in-law), Sharon and Victor Caldwell of Franklin, TN (sister-in-law and brother-in-law), and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.