Charles R. Morris

Charles Raleigh Morris was born April 1, 1940, on the family farm near Waynesboro, Tennessee, the son of the late Charlie and Lucille Morris. He attended Wayne County High School where he played football and basketball before his graduation in 1958. He later attended Middle Tennessee State University and University of Tennessee at Martin where he played football. In 1960 he enlisted in the United States Air Force. He was a jet refueler and served three years, including two years at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. He had reached the rank of Airman First Class (E-3) before being honorably discharged.

He married Rosa Lynn Woods of Clifton, Tennessee, on April 23, 1966. They recently celebrated their 60th anniversary. Charles and Rosa had two sons, Chuck and Jason.

Upon returning home from the Air Force in 1963 he began working for Tennessee Valley Electric Cooperative in Waynesboro on the right-of-way crew. He later was promoted to apprentice lineman and transferred to Savannah, Tennessee. He was later promoted to foreman and retired as director of operations on April 1, 2002. He also teamed with his cousin Terry Thurman to create Savannah Burglar Alarms, which they operated for around 40 years.

After retirement, he enjoyed watching and spending time on the Tennessee River. They moved to a home in the Cravens Landing area in 1991 on the banks of the Tennessee River. They often made trips on the river with other couples to Birdsong Resort for the weekend. He also enjoyed going to sporting events at Hardin County High School, where his sons graduated, and Wayne County High School, traveling to see his grandchildren and attending car shows across the area. He had a red Corvette and a white Mustang with the license plate “Too Hot” that he took to the car shows. He was an avid Tennessee fan and would schedule his Saturdays around when the Vols were playing, and often would watch games on multiple TVs and devices. He once traveled by river to attend a University of Tennessee game at Neyland Stadium. He enjoyed keeping up with Ella and Maddie high school sporting events and followed the college events Chuck and Morgan worked to see if he could find them on TV. He always checked each weekend where they would be working.

As a young child he attended Leatherwood Baptist Church near Waynesboro. In his later life, he attended First Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Savannah, Tennessee.

He was Papa Charlie to three grandchildren, Ella, Morgan and Maddie, along with several other kids who adopted him as their grandfather.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents, and his brothers and sisters-in-law Edward (Marjorie) of Toledo, Ohio, and James Lemuel (Marjorie) of Decatur, Alabama; and brother-in-law Kenneth Woods, of Savannah, Tennessee.

He was survived by his wife Rosa Lynn Woods Morris, two sons, Charles Kenneth (Chuck) (Amy) Morris, of Lebanon, Tennessee, and Jason Brandon (Lauren) Morris, of Mount Dora, Florida; three grandchildren, Ella Grace and Madeline (Maddie) Woods Morris of Mount Dora, Florida, and Charles Morgan T. Morris of Lebanon, Tennessee; brother-in-law David Woods of Clifton, Tennessee, and sister-in-law Jan Woods of Savannah, Tennessee, and several nephews, nieces and cousins.

The family would like to request Tennessee Orange to be worn to the service.