Charles Cumpston

Charles Clinton (Chaz) Cumpston III, born 3-21-1953, died 3-11-2014. Our father was born the only child to Charles Cumpston II and Gladys Glenn Cumpston in Sarasota, FL in 1953. His father worked as a carpenter for the railroad and died in 1955. As an only parent Gladys moved, taking our father to Virginia where he spent his early years before moving back to Florida with his mother. In Florida our father became an entrepreneur, earning money through yard work and a window board-up company which he rain with his friends. During his time in Florida our father became best friends and brothers with Mel, Vic, and John. When our father came of age he felt it was his duty to join the military, where he completed his 4 year commitment and then exited the service at the height of the Vietnam War. My father returned to civilian life a changed man, one filled with duty, maturity, and honor. As he continued he could not escape his love for the military and rejoined the Army in 1986; this time he stayed in for 22 years. During his time in the service our father sought after becoming a Green Beret, Airborne, Special Forces, an Expert Marksman, and a highly respected soldier accommodated for his bravery. During his time as a recruiter my father met a young woman named Mary Jo Kleman; the two quickly fell for each other, however, that love was tested when my father gave her a piece of gum during her basic training. This resulted in my mother and her unit having to pass the chewed gum back and forth on their noses; as you could imagine no one was pleased, except my father. My mother would say that it was his good looks that finally won her over, but the rest of us choose to believe that it was his sense of humor. Charles and Mary Jo were married on June 22, 1990. She was his queen and partner for nearly 24 years; together they had nine beautiful children: seven boys and two girls. Our father retired in 2000 after a fulfilling career in the military. Even after he retired from the military, my father took his passion for leading by example with him; this heart attitude made him invaluable and loved wherever he was. He instilled in his children a sense of honor and integrity that would set them apart during their lives. This passion for leadership coupled with his love of children and God drove him towards Royal Rangers, which is a Christian Boy Scouts. As a child my father was a Boy Scout, but my father resonated with the message of Royal Rangers, “to reach, teach, and keep boys for Christ.” His dream was to see all young men come to Christ and empower them to be the leaders that God created them to be. Standing in the gap of his presence now is his wife Mary Jo, children Charles IV, Chante, Matthew, Malachi, Levi, Lucas, Jonathan, Jenevieve, and Samuel/David, all from Zillah, WA; his brother William Glenn from Staunton, VA; his niece Donna Fox; and his great niece Debby Fox Good from Parkersburg, West Virginia. Funeral services will be held Sunday, March 16th at 2 PM at the Zillah Baptist Church of the Brethren, with burial following at the Zillah Brethren Cemetery. Valley Hills Funeral Home is in care of the arrangements. Online tributes can be left at valleyhillsfh.com. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Charles Cumpston, please visit our flower store.