Charles Wendell Haynes' Obituary
Charles Wendell Haynes, 83, of Fort Myers, Florida, passed away peacefully at home on February 14, 2024. He was born on February 29, 1940, in Lakeland, Florida, to Felton and Olga (née Belz) Haynes. He is survived by his wife, Carol Martin Haynes, to whom he was married for forty-four years; children from his first marriage, Dennis (Missy) Haynes, Lorie Anne (Andy) Bryant, and Byron (Patty) Haynes; his wife’s daughters, Lori (David) Browne and Caroline (Bernard) Shucavage; his grandchildren, Cody Haynes, Kelly (Duncan) Rady, Nick, Natalie, and Naomi Bryant, Kellsey (Josh) DeLong, and Alesia, Lauren, Jonathan, and Grant Shucavage; and two great-granddaughters, Delilah DeLong and Emersyn Shucavage. He is preceded in death by his parents.
After graduating from Collegedale Academy in 1959, Charles worked at several auto repair shops until he took over Sam’s Auto Repair on the corner of Edison Avenue and Fowler Street in 1979, which he owned and operated for 40 years. Upon his retirement, he still kept his hand in auto-mechanics by mentoring his grandson Grant at his auto repair shop, Southwest Florida Motorsports, up until six months before he passed away.
Charles was very involved in the Fort Myers Seventh-Day Adventist Church, of which he was a member for 66 years. He dedicated much of his time as a Pathfinders leader and choir director. He was especially passionate about music, always singing and playing the piano whenever he could. He and his father started a quartet with two other men from their church in the early 1970s. In his last several years on earth, he sang baritone in a church quintet called The King’s Men, which brought him so much joy and happiness.
Out of all the roles that Charles filled, being a grandfather was his favorite. He never said no to playing kickball and riding scooters with his grandchildren, chasing them around as the “tickle monster,” or giving them advice. He exemplified the love of Jesus to everyone he met and had a servant’s heart, giving freely to those around him. He will be greatly missed. His family looks forward to that wonderful day when all are reunited with each other in heaven.
A memorial service to honor his life will be held at the Fort Myers Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 3451 Ortiz Avenue, Fort Myers, Florida, on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Charles’s name to the Fort Myers Seventh-Day Adventist Church for the music department.
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