Roll Call Tribute

Charlie Dean Williams, DVM 

December 14, 1932 - February 8, 2026 

Dr. Charlie D. Williams, DVM, was born December 14, 1932 and passed away February 8, 2026 at 93 years of age. He was the third child and only son of Charlie and Dena Williams. He was raised in Matagorda, Texas with his two older sisters, Fay and Ruth, where he learned to love the outdoors, working on engines and tugboats with his father. At 16 years old he became the youngest tugboat captain in the Inter-coastal Canal, captaining his father’s tug. Charlie also began to rodeo with his friends about the same time, riding broncos, bulls, and serving as a rodeo clown, the most dangerous rodeo job. He earned a spot on the Texas A&M, and later the Sam Houston rodeo teams.

After a break in his college career for a 4 year tour in the army in Germany, Charlie was readmitted to A&M, earning his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1961. While in school, his sister, Fay, told him there was a school teacher friend of hers that she wanted him to meet. When he and his friend Bobby Dickie sauntered into the elementary school classroom of Martha Stevens, asking for music lessons, he met the love of his life. They fell in love while swimming at the beach, enjoying movies and Charlie teaching Martha how to water-ski. They married on June 2, 1957 and after graduation and a stint at a veterinary practice in Katy, Texas, they moved to Palestine, where he partnered with Martha’s twin brother, Dr. Bill Stevens at Palestine Veterinary Hospital.

Charlie and Martha had a wonderful time raising four boys in the country, attending First united Methodist Church, and spending time with friends and family. They continued to be avid water-skiers, teaching their sons to water-ski along with many of the kids in Palestine. When Charlie finally retired (it took four tries) his and Bill’s practice was the oldest veterinary partnership in Texas. After retiring, he and Martha traveled the US and Europe, making friends everywhere. After many adventures, such as learning to snow ski in their 50’s and RV-ing to Alaska and back, Charlie and Martha spent their time home in Palestine until health issues moved them to Belton, Texas to be closer to their sons. Charlie is pre-deceased by their youngest son, Matthew, and is survived by his beautiful wife Martha, their sons Charlie (Skip), Mark and Ben, as well as 6 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD).