Charlee Beatrice Pafford
July 26, 1950 ~ July 29, 2022
Charlee Beatrice Pafford, 72, Retired Art Teacher and Sales Manager, died Friday, July 29, 2022. There will be a small service for immediate family members only. The family asks that instead of flowers, donations go to GiveDirectly at https://www.givedirectly.org.
Charlee was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Alberta Coats; her husband, Wayne Thomas Pafford. She is survived by her son, Anthony (Kristine) Pafford, and grandchildren, August and Alice Pafford.
Born July 26, 1950, she was the only child of Charles and Alberta (Johnston) Coats in Joplin, Missouri. Her father was a small-town doctor, already in his 60s when she was born. Her mother, a second-generation Scottish nurse, was 40 years his junior.
Charlee loved art, seafood, and rock ‘n’ roll. She loved beaches, murder mysteries, and staying up all night long watching B horror movies.
She prided herself on surviving a roller coaster of a life.
With her husband and their son, Charlee moved frequently and came to love many parts of the United States in their travels. In their retirement to Blairsville, Georgia, Charlee and Wayne became very close to their church family at the First Baptist Church of Blairsville.
In 2018, her son moved her from Georgia to Kansas to be close to her grandkids. She loved showing them seashells collected on the beaches of Hilton Head. Her granddaughter still listens to the ocean in a conch shell found on one of grandma’s walks.
Charlee was a woman of deep faith. While her family is deeply saddened by her loss, they know that she is at peace with Christ in Heaven.
Services in care of Downing & Lahey Mortuary - East Chapel.
View current weather.
Memories Timeline
Photo Gallery
Guestbook
Sign the Guestbook, Light a Candle
A life is so many things, and means different things to different people. For me, she was a mother. Kind, thoughtful, supportive. Always willing to listen and give the advice I didn’t think I needed. She taught me about art, and poetry, and how a good murder mystery gets out together. She taught me the differences between werewolves, and vampires, and zombies, and giant atomic irradiated lizards (there are many). She taught me how to make a character look cute instead of serious. She taught me to treat others as I’d like to be treated. For my children, she was grandma. She had a lot of craft supplies that were always out. She had a giant tote full of teddy bears my children like to swim in. I wish they could have known her as the tough, active woman that refinished furniture, tended horses, did light home repair, and baked the best banana bread with walnuts. Mom, I love you. Thank you for the time we had together.
I’m so happy that Auggie and Alice got to have the time with Grandma Charlee that they did. It wasn’t enough, but we will remind them of their grandma all the time to keep her memory alive.