Charles Enloe

A private family burial will be held at 11:00 AM, Saturday, December 10, at Crestview Memorial Park under the direction of Hampton Vaughan Funeral Home. A Celebration of Life will follow at 2:00 PM at Floral Heights United Methodist Church with Pastor Don Yeager officiating.

Honorary Pallbearers are Bill Parks, Greg Miller, Ed Hefti, Poney Thompson, Byron Allsup, V.C. Said, Bill Smith, Charlie Gregory, Rodney Bennett and Dee Tucker.

Charles was born June 18, 1920 in Wichita Falls to the late Charles C. Enloe and Kate Ricks Enloe. Charles served his country in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WW II and was proud to have gone to Washington, D.C. on an Honor Flight in 2014. He married his beloved wife, Dorothy Lohman, in Wichita Falls on December 15, 1945. They were happily married for 49 years. She preceded him in death in 1994.

After the war, he graduated from SMU and Vandercook School of Music. He began his teaching career in Nederland, TX High School, then went to Mexia, Monahans, Seymour, and Wichita Falls Rider High School, before becoming the Music Coordinator for WFISD, retiring in 1982.

He continued to clinic many area bands after his retirement. Former students remember him for rewarding them with pennies from his pockets when they played well. Throughout his long career, he instilled excellence and a life-long love of music to thousands of students.

Charles was inducted into the Texas Band Master’s Hall of Fame in 1993 and was honored by Phi Beta Mu music fraternity as the International Outstanding Band Master of the Year in 2000. He played trombone in the Wichita Falls Symphony, the Gordy Kilgore Band, and the Mad Medics, continuing with the Medics until shortly before his death.

As much as he excelled in music, his greatest accomplishment in life was the love of his family. He was a wonderful husband, father, Daddad, and mentor. He loved the serenity of the mountains, fishing as often as he could, and watching his favorite Dallas Cowboys.

He is survived by two children, Chuck Enloe and wife Yvonne, Kathy Ripley and husband Carlos; grandchildren, Dawson Enloe, Marissa Enloe-Cruz and husband Gilbert, Krista Ripley Bryan and husband Jeremy, Casey Ripley, and Caitlin Ripley; three great grandchildren; sisters-in-law, Lucille Glagow, Valrie Farmer, Lucille Lohman and Montez Lohman; numerous nieces, nephews and longtime friends, especially the Bill Parks and Buddy Richardson families, plus a host of Texas music educators and students.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Charles’ church, Floral Heights United Methodist Church, or Hospice of Wichita Falls. The family would like to thank the staff of Presbyterian Manor and Hospice for taking such good care of Charles. Chuck and Kathy would also like to thank Aunt Cille for her wonderful help in caring for their Dad in the years leading up to his passing.

Condolences can be made at www.hamptonvaughancrestview.com