Charles Lathell Capehart

Charles Lathell Capehart (1962 - 1986), age 94, passed away on Wednesday, April 9, 2025 in El Paso, Texas. He was born April 6, 1931, in Vera, Texas, where his family resided prior to relocating to Midland and Van Horn, Texas. Charles attended high school in Van Horn and graduated in 1948. He was attending college at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) when he met his wife-to-be, Betty Katherine Hirsch. They married in December, 1950, and Charles began employment with the T&NO Railroad, a subsidiary of the Southern Pacific. He was drafted into the United States Army in August, 1951. He served, after Basic Training at Camp Roberts, California, with a Military Police Company at that installation for one year, and was then assigned to Korea, where he served with a Military Police Unit.

Following military service, Charles resumed college attendance, graduating from UTEP in 1956. He was employed by the El Paso Natural Gas Company in 1962 when he applied as a Special Agent through the El Paso FBI office. His first duty assignment after training at Quantico was with the Tampa Division. Subsequent assignments were New York, San Juan (PR), Washington Field, and San Antonio (Austin RA). "Charlie", as he was known to most of his FBI colleagues and associates, received an OP transfer to El Paso in 1977, where he served in the El Paso Division until his retirement in January, 1986. He continued working as an independent contractor for the Defense Department and FBI-BICS for another fifteen years.

After retiring, Charles and his family enjoyed traveling in the Southwestern and Western United States and Canada. He and his wife Betty were active members of First Baptist Church of El Paso, where Charles served as a Deacon for several years.

Charles was preceded in death by his beloved wife of sixty-four years in March, 2015. He is survived by his daughters Mary Ann Vernon and Kathryn Gardner, son-in-law Richard Gardner, grandsons Travis, Michael and wife Ashley, their daughters Brooke and Bailey, and Charles Gardner and wife Laiza, and great-grandchildren Charles Richard Gardner, Jr. and Kathryn Teresa Gardner.

Charles was buried alongside his wife, Betty, at Fort Bliss National Cemetery in El Paso.