Charles Noflett Easton Jr.

Feb. 15, 1965 - Jun. 22, 2021

Cherished son, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend to so many in the community, Charles Easton Jr. passed away on Tuesday, June 22, 2021 in South Bend, Indiana at the age of 56. Charlie Jr. filled many roles in the lives of those he loved, but none more distinct than Protector of his family

Charlie Jr. was born in South Bend, Indiana where he spent the majority of his life. After graduating from Clay High School in 1983, Charlie Jr. worked in various cooking establishments before being stationed in Kentucky after joining the US Army in 1985. During these years, Charlie Jr. fine-tuned his cooking and food presentation skills, providing delicious meats prepared with love from the grill! Following his service to his country, Charlie Jr. moved to Jefferson, Indiana, and later (2015) relocated to Atlanta to be closer to family members residing in Georgia. In 2019, Charlie Jr. returned home (South Bend), living out the rest of his life.

Charlie Jr. was the best handyman in the world and a grill-man perfectionist! He enjoyed dancing, laughing, and having a good time with his nieces and nephews at family gatherings/BBQ's. It was at these family gathers where Charlie Jr. developed special names for all of his nieces and nephews. He was always the life of the party and ensured that his presence made everyone he encountered feel special and appreciated. His smile lit up the room!

He was a music lover, who danced to any old R&B song perfect for the Boardwalk dance! He danced to The Gap Band songs, George Clinton's "Atomic Dog", Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight", and many more old-school songs - even when others at the gathering were crooning to more current tunes! Charlie Jr. was true to his choice in genre, style, and era, and that commitment swayed others to get on the dance floor and grove the "old school" way!

His role as family Protector could not have been more exemplified than in events that unfolded on July 19, 1988. Charlie Jr., with his natural instinct to shield his sibling from harm's way kicking in, pushed his brother to safety and stepped into the path of a single bullet that ultimately punctured Charlie Jr.'s lung, heart and esophagus and resulted in a 3-month hospital say and a year-long recovery. In that moment on that day, Charlie Jr. did what he has done whole life – protect his family, out of his love for them, even if that protection came with great risk to himself.

Having lived in the South Bend community for so many years, Charlie Jr. had many life-long friends who enjoyed conversing with him and reminiscing on childhood memories. He enjoyed close relationships with all of his paternal and maternal siblings, and he cherished making new connections with people from all walks of life. Irrespective of the last time he saw someone, when Charlie Jr. re-connected with a person years later, it was as if the parties were continuing a conversation that had never ended. To Charlie Jr., friendships were meant to last a lifetime.

Charlie Jr. is survived by his daughter, Nicole Easton of South Bend, IN; his mother, Sharon L. Easton of Athens, GA; his father, Charles Easton Sr. of South Bend, IN; maternal sisters, Scarlett Anderson of South Bend, IN and Cherri Williams, Sharon Elaine Johnson, and Barbara Johnson all of Lawrenceville, GA; maternal brother, Noel Easton of South Bend, IN; and a host of paternal siblings.

Charlie Jr. was preceded in death by grandmothers Mahalia Easton and Violet Adams; grandfathers Booker T. Easton and Robert Randolph; two maternal sisters Sandra Denise ("Niecy") Easton and Nyla Annette ("Nett") Crawford; and paternal brother Kevin Dikes .

Palmer Funeral Home https://www.palmerfuneralhomes.com has been entrusted to handle final arrangements. Memorial Services will not be held. Condolences and expressions of sympathy can be sent to his mother, Sharon Easton at 100 Brookside Ave., Apartment 202, Athens, Georgia 30606.

07/15/2024 DEC

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/228933584/charles-easton