by Rod D. Martin
March 27, 2006

The world lost and Heaven gained an excellent man last week, as Charles White went to be with his Lord on March 22.

Charles was an accountant, a veteran, and an accomplished musician. Through the years he was a pianist for gospel quartets and served several churches as church pianist. His ministry extended to providing music to other churches and for special events, as well as a faithful nursing home ministry. He was active in his church and was serving as chairman of the deacons at First Southern Baptist Church of Bryant, Arkansas when he died.

But those were not the things for which I remember him.

Charles was first and foremost the wife of Janie, one of the finest Christian women (and certainly one of the finest mothers) I have ever known. He reared three truly outstanding children, Paul, Susan, and my lifelong, beloved friend Mark. Each of them were and are phenomenally talented in their own right, in ways too numerous to count; and Charles made sure that their talents were developed in a God-honoring, nurturing home. They — and their own spouses and children — are his crowning glory, and I know they made him incredibly proud.

He never invented warp drive. He never became President. But if the world were filled with Charles Whites, it would be an infinitely better place. He will be greatly missed.