Lt. Col. Charles Logan Kessie, Ret.

Charles Logan Kessie, 77, of Georgetown, Texas, formerly of Canadian, Texas, passed away June 16, 2024 at Tiffin House in Georgetown with his two daughters at his side. 

Celebration of Life service will be at Canadian Methodist Church, 520 Main St., Canadian, Friday, August 9, at 10:30 AM. Military and Masonic graveside services will follow at Edith Ford Memorial Cemetery. Visitation will be held Thursday, August 8, from 4 to 6:30 PM at Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors of Canadian, 203 S. Third St.

Charles was born February 3, 1947 to Lovilla Clay Kessie and W.A. Kessie, Jr., in Canadian, Texas. He spent his entire childhood in Canadian, and graduated from Canadian High School in 1965, winning the coveted Liske Cup as the best all around graduate. Charles attended Texas A&M University, thanks in part to a $250 per semester scholarship, and was a member of the Corps of Cadets and the Maroon Band Battalion of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. He served as Guidon Bearer his sophomore year, Scholastic Officer his junior year, and in the center of the bugle ranks his senior year.

While at Texas A&M, Charles married his high school sweetheart, Janie Lynn Jackson, on August 24, 1968. The couple made their home in married student housing and Janie worked as a secretary in the Texas A&M library. 

Charles took a contract pledging three years of service to the U.S. Army his junior year, which included “summer camp” before his senior year. After earning his Bachelor of Science in Education, Charles was commissioned into the United States Army as a 2nd Lieutenant in Field Artillery. Officers Basic Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia, were completed and then he reported to the 2nd of the 39th Field Artillery in Schweinfurt, Germany. Janie joined him shortly after and their first child, Christina Grace, was born on December 8, 1970. 

After returning from Germany, Charles attended Texas Tech Law School while simultaneously serving his summers at Fort Hood. Charles and Janie welcomed their second daughter, Elizabeth Jane, on August 3, 1976, just four days before he left for Judge Advocate General Basic in Virginia. Then the Kessies moved to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for Charles’ first JAG assignment as a member of the Army’s first team of designated criminal defense lawyers.

After 10 years of active duty and achieving the rank of Captain, Charles resigned from the Army and the family returned to their hometown of Canadian. Charles joined his father-in-law, William J. Jackson, in law practice. Charles was appointed Hemphill County Attorney in 1985, and then was elected to the position multiple times. He held that position for 15 years, resigning in order to run for District Attorney of the 33rd Judicial District. 

Charles continued to practice law in Canadian and the surrounding communities until his retirement in 2019. In addition to his dedicated legal work for the families and businesses of the Texas Panhandle, Charles provided invaluable pro bono services for nonprofit organizations and defendants. He served as appointed defense attorney for jurisdictions from Childress to Dalhart. In 2016, Charles was honored by The State Bar of Texas with the prestigious Frank J. Scurlock Award for performing exceptional work in the field of legal services to the poor in civil matters.

Additionally, after only about a year of civilian life, Charles joined the U.S. Army Reserves. He was eventually attached to the 353rd Engineer Brigade out of Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as the Assistant Judge Advocate and then the Judge Advocate. Charles retired in 1998, after 28 years of combined service and having achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Charles was a volunteer throughout his life. He was an active member of Rotary International, for which he served as Canadian Rotary Club President and Assistant District Governor and where he was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow for many years as a supporter of Polio Plus. Charles became a Third Degree Mason in Canadian Lodge #855 at the age of 22, and served in every elected capacity including Master. He was also a member of Miami Lodge #805 and an honored guest of the Schweinfurt, Germany Lodge. He was also a member and former commander of American Legion Post 56.

Throughout his life, Charles enjoyed various passions. He appreciated and performed music with various instruments and his voice. He took piano lessons; played clarinet, saxophone, and trombone in the Canadian Wildcat Band; marched with the trombone in The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band; and participated in various community and church bands and choirs. Even as his voice and eyes failed him, he continued to hum to the songs and hymns he recognized. His family gathered around and sang to him in his final hours.

Flight fascinated Charles from a very young age. He built model planes and carried that love to college, where he began studying aeronautical engineering. Though he changed majors, he never lost his love for all things airplane. He later owned his own Piper Cherokee 140, which he used to get to his Army Reserve weekends and to happily fly friends and family. Smiley Johnson trained Charles and Janie was his favorite co-pilot. Some of his favorite trips were to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the annual EAA AirVenture Fly In. 

Charles and Janie also enjoyed road trips, making a great loop through California into the Pacific Northwest, and finding a favorite spot in Sedona, Arizona. They also traveled in Europe, with school groups and a lovely Viking river cruise on which they visited their old military service stomping grounds.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents, by a grandson Edwin Logan Barritt, and his sister-in-law Diane Jackson.

Charles is survived by his wife, Janie, of Georgetown, daughters Christina (Robert) Barritt of Lubbock and Elizabeth (Clint) Junell of Hickory Creek, grandchildren Samuel, Abigail, Brock, Kolbi, and Korbin, and brother The Reverend John Paul (The Reverend Linda) Kessie of Bastrop. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be sent to the Texas A&M Foundation, 401 George Bush Drive, College Station, Texas 77840. Please designate the Janie L. and Charles L. Kessie '69 Memorial Corps of Cadets Scholarship in the memo line of the check. You can also donate online at txamfoundation.com/give. Other favorite suggested recipients are: High Plains Public Radio: https://www.hppr.org/; Rotary international Polio Plus: https://my.rotary.org/en/donate; Shriner’s Children’s: https://www.shrinerschildrens.org/en; The Canadian Ex-student Scholarship Fund, c/o Canadian Education Foundation, PO Box 438, Canadian, TX 79014; or the library of your choice.