Obituary
Charles Higginbotham

Charles William Higginbotham of Cary, NC, died on June 6, 2022, at Brookdale Senior Living in Cary, NC. He was 90 years old. Born on November 12, 1931, in Glasgow, Kentucky, Charles spent much of his youth in Park City, Kentucky. He was the oldest child of Elmer and Iva Higginbotham. In 1950, Charles enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, where he rose to the rank of major before retiring in 1971. He served in Vietnam. After retiring from the Marine Corps, Charles sold real estate for a number of years in Virginia and North Carolina. He later worked at the Target in Apex, where he enjoyed putting together food samples for customers to try. In 1958, Charles married Barbara Christine Summerlin. They had shared nearly fifty-three years of marriage when she died in 2011. Charles married Janie Ruth Campbell in 2016 and resided with her in Cary until her death earlier this year. Each morning as long as he was able, Charles unfurled the American flag that stood by his front door. Charles was a member of the First Baptist Church of Cary. He enjoyed gardening and decorating his house for the holidays, especially at Christmas. Charles is survived by his daughters, Deborah Conklin and Susan Higginbotham, his son-in-law, Don Coomes; his grandchildren, Angela Gjelhaug, Thaddeus Coomes, and Bethany Coomes; his great-grandsons, Lars Gjelhaug and Kason Gjelhaug; and his younger sister, Jane Sappenfield. His younger brother, Haskell "Pete" Higginbotham, predeceased him. A memorial service will be held at First Baptist Church of Cary at a time to be arranged. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Autism Society of North Carolina are encouraged.