Charles Neal Wise
March 1, 1931 — April 23, 2025
Dr. Charles Neal “Charlie”Wise, 94, passed away peacefully in Lockhart, Texas, April 23, 2025, after a brief illness.
Dr. Wise is survived by daughter, Terry (Mark) Hamilton, of Shiloh, Illinois, son Nate (Susan) Wise of Red Rock, Texas, sister-in-law Mollie (Dale) Kulchar of Andover, Ohio, son-in-law Bernie Garcia, of Moore, Oklahoma, 11 grandchildren and numerous great and great-great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by wife, Udina June Wise of Lockhart, Texas, daughter Marcella Jean Garcia of Moore, Oklahoma, son Ronald Lee Wise of Lockhart, Texas, brother Joseph Allen Wise of Moline, Illinois, and parents Myrtle Irene (Wicker) Haupricht of Prairie Home, Illinois, and Donald Allen Wise of Macon County, Illinois.
Dr. Wise was born in Mowequa, Illinois, on March 1, 1931. After a tumultuous childhood, he and his brother Alan found a true home in Baxter Academy, a boarding school near Cookville, Tennessee. After departing Baxter at age 17, he worked as a farm laborer then in farm equipment manufacturing for Caterpillar in Peoria, Illinois. He served as a military policemen in the Illinois National Guard then entered the US Navy where he served shipboard as a machinist and Engine man, gaining skills he would rely upon throughout his life. After his military service, he secured scholarships and worked full time to put himself through college, earning his Bachelors Degree in Economics at Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois, then completing his Masters and PHD studies in Communications and Psychology at the University of Oklahoma. He then began his 60 plus year career as a university professor at Stephen F. Austin College, Eastern New Mexico University, Memphis State, and Texas Tech University. He followed these duties with teaching positions at junior college and community colleges in El Paso, Austin, and San Antonio, Texas, Kean University of New Jersey, where he also attained the position of Dean of Education.
Interspersed with his academic career, Charles was an accomplished pilot, ground and flight instructor, including aerobatics, and earning numerous advanced ratings. Maintaining his flight and instructor status for decades, he became a published author of 5 reference books and manuals for flight training, ratings renewal courses and other articles. He was Chief Flight Instructor for Advanced Ground Schools, Inc., and developed curriculum and taught chief pilot revalidation courses for the Piper Aircraft Company, as well as traveled the country with his own ground school instruction courses. Over his flying career, he completed over 4500 hours of flight and over 3500 hours of flight instruction, recognized as a “Gold Seal Instructor” by the Federal Aviation Administration, and owning 3 varied airplanes.
He also was briefly employed by the BJ Hughes Tool Company, Round Rock, Texas, as Director of Training. Over his lifetime, Charles earned scholarships, leadership positions, and honors in many pursuits. He was an Emeritus Member of the Texas Speech Association, recognized in 2007 as their Educator of the Year. Throughout his adult life, he continued to publish many articles and texts varying from the academics and aviation. He also continued his decades-long pursuits in competitive bowling, continuing into his early 90s. In his late years, Charles became certified as a lay Methodist minister. As such, he was honored to plan and host services for his friends and fellow residents in assisted living.
Charles and his loving and faithful wife of 72 years, raised four children, daughter Marcella (deceased), son Ronald, (deceased), daughter Terry Hamilton, and son Nate Wise. Throughout many moves and continual change, as Charles wrote, “ in the early years she (June) was the primary parent and faithful homemaker, even while working outside the home in a variety of employments….Through good times and bad, in good health and through many surgeries, economic ups and downs, she calmly and with little complaint held high her share of the bargain….Like Ruth, she followed her husband where he would go and accepted whatever he pursued.” Together they traveled, enjoyed league bowling, filling their home with bowling trophies, and visiting their extensive families. For many of those years, they enjoyed the fellowship of RV living. As Dr. Wise once wrote of himself “..(I) can be said to be like a well-inflated basketball…the harder you flung him to the court, the higher he bounced back.” He did travel, in his words, “a long way away from an Illinois farm lad.”
Arrangements for the family are provided by the Marrs-Jones-Newby Funeral Home in Bastrop, Texas. A private service is planned by the family, with interment and full military honors at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas. In lieu of flowers or memorials, the family requests donations to one’s local food bank of choice.
