Charles Dean Summers, 69, a wonderful and beloved brother, uncle, and friend, passed away peacefully about 3:00am on July 5, 2009. Charles was born January 22, 1940, in Houston, Texas; the second son of Elmer Lee Summers and Elizabeth Buhler Summers, and grew up in Houston. While attending Lamar High School, he worked for a local garage, and joined the neighborhood volunteer fire department. He attended Tarleton College in Stephenville, Texas, earning an associate's degree before he volunteered for the U.S. Army in late 1961. During his term of enlistment, he served with B Company of the 144th Signal Battalion in Goepingen, Germany.

Upon his discharge, Charles became a full-time fireman in West University Place, a Houston suburb. While there, he pursued a vigorous outdoor life of hunting, boating, fishing, and starting what became the great achievement and legacy of his lifetime: a Matagorda County cattle ranch carved from scratch out of the forested bottomlands of Caney Creek. This quickly became his full-time endeavor. Over the decades he cleared, drained, and improved "Caney" to his own preferences. For the past two decades, he also operated a rural land improvement business, Caney Conservation Company.

Charlie developed and pursued interests far too numerous to describe in this space. He kept up a vigorous paper and Internet correspondence with family, school and Army friends, and people he'd met while riding his Harley to nearly all the lower 48 states. He was extremely knowledgeable about English and American history in general and Matagorda County history in particular. He liked to entertain family and friends. He was a good host and outstanding cook. Only in very recent years did his health limit his activities, and especially so since heart valve replacement surgery in November, 2008.

A lifelong bachelor, Charles Summers was predeceased by his parents. He is survived, loved, and missed by his brothers and their wives, Edward and Kathy Summers and Jesse and Helen Summers; his nephews, Michael Summers (and his wife, Joanna) and David Summers; his nieces, Jennifer Summers and Pamela Summers Parks (and her husband, Derek); and his grand-nieces and nephews, Angelica Summers, Amanda Summers, Callum Parks, Kate Summers, Mason Parks, and Sophie Parks; and by many friends as well. To all of them, his passing creates a loss that cannot be erased in this life.

Funeral arrangements are by Taylor Brothers Funeral Home in Bay City, and will include visitation from 6:00pm to 8:00pm on Friday, July 10; a simple funeral service at 10:00am Saturday July 11; and burial in Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery in Houston at 1:30pm Saturday. Charlie's brothers encourage family and friends planning to attend the visitation or the funeral service to prepare oral and/or written memories of Charlie for mutual sharing.