Roll Call Tribute
Charles "Charlie" Willms '59 August 25, 2016 12:52 PM updated: August 25, 2016 12:58 PM
Pennington Funeral Home obituary
323 North Comanche
San Marcos, TX 78666
(512) 353-4311
Charles “Charlie” Ronald Willms
Charles “Charlie” Ronald Willms, 83, died at home on August 15, 2016 in San Marcos, Texas. A memorial service in his honor will be held at 11:00 am, Saturday, August 20, 2016, at First United Methodist Church of San Marcos. Visitation will be Friday, August 19, 2016, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at the Pennington Funeral Home Chapel, San Marcos, Texas.
Charlie was born on June 26, 1933 in Rupert, Idaho to the late Emil C. Willms and Thelma Cox Willms. He married Dianne Johnson December 27, 1955 in San Antonio, Texas. Charlie spent his early years in Burley, Idaho. At 13, he and his family moved to San Antonio, Texas where, in 1951, he graduated from Thomas Edison High School. Charlie proudly served in the US Naval Reserves from 1951-1958 while pursuing his education.
Charlie attended Southwest Texas State University for two years before transferring to the University of Texas at Austin where he received a B.A. in Zoology in 1955. He returned to Southwest Texas in 1956 and received a M.A. degree in Chemistry. In January of 1960, he completed his Ph.D. in BioChemistry at Texas A & M University.
In 1959, Charlie joined the Southwest Texas State University Chemistry Department faculty. He took a leave of absence from the University in 1963 to serve as a Research Scientist with the Clayton Foundation, Department of Chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin. From 1968 to 1975, he served as the Chairman of the Southwest Texas State University Chemistry Department. During his tenure as Chairman, the department’s Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry was granted certification by the American Chemical Society. Charlie retired from the University in 1997 and was named Professor Emeritus for his contributions to teaching at Southwest Texas. He was a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the New York Academy of Science, the Texas Academy of Science, Phi Kappa Phi, and Sigma Xi.
Charlie was a true navalist. He loved sailing, fishing, building historical ship models and simply being by the water. A genuine renaissance man, he was an avid reader, movie aficionado, golfer, hunter, and history buff. He loved bringing smiles to his friends’ and family’s faces through his wit and humor. His laugh could break up a room and gravitate everyone toward him simultaneously. And, he loved animals, especially canines. Charlie was ever accompanied by his pups, namely Shy, Chopin and Schatze.
Survivors include his wife, Dianne; daughter, Deborah of Kyle, Texas; daughter, Kathryn and husband Bruce Flanigan of Belton, Texas; son, Fred Willms and wife Shalone of Coppell, Texas; daughter, Emily and husband Clint Rogers of Austin, Texas; grandchildren, Ryan Flanigan and wife Shanae, Tyler Flanigan and wife Lauren, Derek and Rachel Willms, Elizabeth and Hunter Rogers; and great grandchildren, Colin and Brennan Flanigan.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be given to the Smith-Willms Award through the Development Foundation at Texas State University (601 University Dr., J.C. Kelley Bldg., Ste. 480, San Marcos, Texas, 78666-4612) or online at https://donate.txstate.edu.
Arrangements by Pennington Funeral Home, 323 N. Comanche, San Marcos, TX 78666, 512-353-4311. www.penningtonfuneralhome.com
323 North Comanche
San Marcos, TX 78666
(512) 353-4311
Charles “Charlie” Ronald Willms
Charles “Charlie” Ronald Willms, 83, died at home on August 15, 2016 in San Marcos, Texas. A memorial service in his honor will be held at 11:00 am, Saturday, August 20, 2016, at First United Methodist Church of San Marcos. Visitation will be Friday, August 19, 2016, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at the Pennington Funeral Home Chapel, San Marcos, Texas.
Charlie was born on June 26, 1933 in Rupert, Idaho to the late Emil C. Willms and Thelma Cox Willms. He married Dianne Johnson December 27, 1955 in San Antonio, Texas. Charlie spent his early years in Burley, Idaho. At 13, he and his family moved to San Antonio, Texas where, in 1951, he graduated from Thomas Edison High School. Charlie proudly served in the US Naval Reserves from 1951-1958 while pursuing his education.
Charlie attended Southwest Texas State University for two years before transferring to the University of Texas at Austin where he received a B.A. in Zoology in 1955. He returned to Southwest Texas in 1956 and received a M.A. degree in Chemistry. In January of 1960, he completed his Ph.D. in BioChemistry at Texas A & M University.
In 1959, Charlie joined the Southwest Texas State University Chemistry Department faculty. He took a leave of absence from the University in 1963 to serve as a Research Scientist with the Clayton Foundation, Department of Chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin. From 1968 to 1975, he served as the Chairman of the Southwest Texas State University Chemistry Department. During his tenure as Chairman, the department’s Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry was granted certification by the American Chemical Society. Charlie retired from the University in 1997 and was named Professor Emeritus for his contributions to teaching at Southwest Texas. He was a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the New York Academy of Science, the Texas Academy of Science, Phi Kappa Phi, and Sigma Xi.
Charlie was a true navalist. He loved sailing, fishing, building historical ship models and simply being by the water. A genuine renaissance man, he was an avid reader, movie aficionado, golfer, hunter, and history buff. He loved bringing smiles to his friends’ and family’s faces through his wit and humor. His laugh could break up a room and gravitate everyone toward him simultaneously. And, he loved animals, especially canines. Charlie was ever accompanied by his pups, namely Shy, Chopin and Schatze.
Survivors include his wife, Dianne; daughter, Deborah of Kyle, Texas; daughter, Kathryn and husband Bruce Flanigan of Belton, Texas; son, Fred Willms and wife Shalone of Coppell, Texas; daughter, Emily and husband Clint Rogers of Austin, Texas; grandchildren, Ryan Flanigan and wife Shanae, Tyler Flanigan and wife Lauren, Derek and Rachel Willms, Elizabeth and Hunter Rogers; and great grandchildren, Colin and Brennan Flanigan.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be given to the Smith-Willms Award through the Development Foundation at Texas State University (601 University Dr., J.C. Kelley Bldg., Ste. 480, San Marcos, Texas, 78666-4612) or online at https://donate.txstate.edu.
Arrangements by Pennington Funeral Home, 323 N. Comanche, San Marcos, TX 78666, 512-353-4311. www.penningtonfuneralhome.com
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