Services for Charles Lee Branton, 73, of Canton, were held Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, at the First United Methodist Church in Canton with Pastor Adam Muckleroy officiating. Interment was in Haven of Memories.
He passed away surrounded by his family on Nov. 3, 2018, in Fort Worth. He was born Oct. 10, 1945, in Dallas to Charles Edward and Dorothy Marie McDaniel Branton.
He grew up in Dallas and moved to Canton to start his freshman year of high school. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Canton.
He earned a Bachelors degree in Agricultural Economics from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Okla. There, he met the love of his life, Suezette. They were married on Sept. 9, 1967.
He and Suezette moved to Austin shortly after and he began his career at Texas Parks and Wildlife in Austin.
Years later, he went to work for Texas Coastal and Marine Council, where he was the Executive Director.
He then moved to the Texas Department of Health where he became the Director of the Product Safety Division.
He came back to his roots and retired to Canton in 2003. He loved going to the deer lease with his sons-in-law and grandchildren.
He enjoyed working on the family farm here in Canton with his father raising polled hereford cattle. He was an avid hunter, gun collector, wicked domino player and had a passion for cigars.
He and Suezette were recently able to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary last year in Hawaii with his sister and brother-in-law. There, he got to visit the Pearl Harbor Memorial where his father served on the USS Utah.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Charles E. and Dorothy Branton. He is survived by his wife, Suezette, of Canton; daughter, Kerry Lee Huffman and husband, Shane, of Midlothian; daughter, Erin Gay Branton of Buda; Duane Milligan of Dallas; five grandchildren, Kaelan Huffman, Branton Huffman, Mason Milligan, and twins, Madyn and Maxwell Milligan; sister and brother-in-law, Dorinda and John Sims of Midlothian; and many nieces, nephews and other relatives.
Pallbearers were Shane Huffman, Branton Huffman, Duane Milligan, Scott Sims, Frank Blanchard and Kevin Reiter.