Charles Young Massey, 92, of Tifton passed away Thursday, September 13, 2018 at Cypress Pond Senior Care. Funeral services will be held Sunday, September 16, 2018 at 4:00pm at the First Baptist Church chapel in Tifton, Georgia. A reception for friends and family will be held immediately afterwards at the Family Life Center. The interment will be at the Buckhead Cemetery in Buckhead, Georgia on Monday at 2pm.
Chase Massey, Drew Massey, Michael Massey, Charlie Massey, Spence Massey, Dale Massey, and Ray Brooks will serve as pall bearers. Escorts will be Kate Massey, Lauren Massey, Catherine Appleton Peay, Michelle Robinson Hyde, Christie Robinson Dasher.
Charles was preceded in death by his parents, Charlie Melton and Tessie Drew Massey, brother Glynn Massey, and sisters Lillian Massey Brooks and Gloria Massey May.
Charles was born on March 26, 1926 in Barwick, Georgia. He moved to Tifton with his parents in 1938. Charles graduated from Tift County High School in 1943 and attended North Georgia College until joining the US Army Air Force in September of 1944. Following the end of World War II in 1946, he enrolled at Mercer University and later graduated from Florida State University. He achieved his Charter Life Underwriter designation in 1961.
Charles worked with State Farm Insurance Companies for 47 years. He believed in the integrity of this great company and watched it grow from a small company to a giant. He played a role in this success by first serving as an agent and then a district manager, appointing and training over 35 agents. His dad was one of the first agents in Georgia and 3rd district manager. His brother was the 1st agent in the city of Atlanta. Today, Charles has two sons, a niece, several nephews and grandnephews with State Farm in agency and management.
He made his profession of faith at First Baptist Church of Tifton when he was 12 years old. He taught Sunday school classes for teenagers, college students, and adults. He loved the church, serving as deacon and took the role of ministry seriously. He kept up with his deacon families and visited members often. He served on finance, insurance, hospital, and stewardship committees, and on the Family Life Center building program.
Charles loved the good earth. He loved to sit in a deer stand as the sun came up and God’s creatures came to life. He loved to hunt and fish, but really enjoyed sharing this passion with others. It was never about how many quail he killed, it was how well the dogs hunted. As his physical health failed him, he had his care givers drive him to the pond and told them how to fish as he sat in his truck. He loved to watch birds and if he saw one he didn’t know, he would look it up in his bird book. Along with his sons, he taught many of his nephews and nieces to ride horses and water ski. Earlier in life he was a scout master and was proud to have worked with four young men to become Eagle scouts, and was very proud of two of his grandsons who achieved the same honor. He taught International students from ABAC to learn and embrace our American culture and even taught several of them to drive a car. He loved to encourage others to better themselves. And if he wasn’t encouraging or teaching, he was telling stories, as many others knew him as a story teller.
Charles’ civil duties included being a long-term member of the Tifton Rotary Club, member of the Tifton Exchange Club, director of the Tifton Federal Savings and Loan, director of the Georgia Sheriff’s Boys Ranch, and on the board of trustees at Tiftarea Academy.
Charles married Carolyn Bell on June 18, 1961, who faithfully remained by his side for 57 years. Carolyn survives Charles along with their three children and seven grandchildren; Charles Merritt Massey and Jan Stone Massey and sons Chase and Drew; Robert Glynn Massey and Heidi Prince Massey and sons Michael, Charlie, and Spence; Jon Appleton Massey and Tricia Gilbert Massey and daughters Kate and Lauren.
Charles and family were very appreciative of his caregivers through Georgia Living at Home, his secretary, Kaye Lucas, and the caring staff of Hospice.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to Mercer’s McAffee School of Theology, 3001 Mercer University Drive, Atlanta, Ga, 30341; ABAC Foundation, 2802 Moore Highway, Tifton, Ga. 31793; Hospice of Tiftarea, 618 Central Ave, Tifton, Ga. 31793; or First Baptist Church of Tifton, 404 Love Avenue, Tifton, Ga. 31794.