Charles Lavergne Stephenson, beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend, passed away peacefully on December 31, 2024, surrounded by his family. Born on January 16, 1938, in Collinsville, Texas, Charles lived a life marked by dedication, compassion and an unwavering commitment to the Lord, his loved ones and his community.

Charles is survived by his devoted wife, Jane, and three sons: Philip Mark Stephenson and his wife, Karen; Craig Allan Stephenson and his wife, Jana; and Charles Rollen Stephenson and his wife, Adrianna. He is also survived by his grandchildren: Richard Cortland Stephenson; Savana Leigh Battle and her husband, John; Russell Andre Stephenson and his wife, Mary; Robert Parker Stephenson; and Andrew Temple Stephenson. Charles is further survived by one great-grandchild, John Remington Battle.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents Walter Lavergne and Lottie Young Stephenson; his sisters Sallie Ragsdale and Grace Weseman; and his three grandchildren: granddaughter Ryan Nicole Stephenson; and twin grandsons Jacob Alan and Joshua James Stephenson.

Rooted in the rich history of Collinsville, Texas, Charles’s family consisted of prominent merchants and farmers. His great-grandfather, William H. Stephenson, founded the Stephenson Drug Store in 1885, and his grandfather, Nim L. Stephenson, opened a General Store in 1901. Charles spent much of his youth working in the family store, where he developed a strong work ethic and a deep sense of community.

After graduating from Collinsville High School in 1956, where he excelled in sports and was voted most popular and wittiest by his classmates, Charles pursued a career in the oil and gas industry. He attended Southern Methodist University, majoring in geology, and later graduated from the nation’s first Petroleum Land Management program at the University of Oklahoma.

He was active with the National Institute for Petroleum Landmen in the early 1960s and joined the Dallas Association of Petroleum Landmen in 1968, the American Association of Petroleum Landmen in 1970, and later the Houston Association of Professional Landmen.

Charles was an expert negotiator and a natural people-person with a keen sense of humor, sills which helped him to move up in the industry and meet some of the greatest icons in that field. Throughout his career, he held prominent positions as Land Manager for several oil and gas companies, including Bridger Petroleum, Lear Petroleum and Hopewell Operating, Inc. Charles retired after 54 years in the industry as a highly respected Certified Professional Landman.

Beyond his professional achievements, Charles was deeply involved in his church and community. He was a member of the Church of Christ and played a pivotal role in building the Buckingham Road Church of Christ, in Garland, Texas. Later, he joined the First Christian Church of Plano where he was a member of the Seekers Sunday School Class. He was extremely proud of his membership with the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and was a lifelong political conservative.

An avid hunter, Charles was known for being an excellent shot. He never missed opening day for dove hunting and loved deer hunting with his boys and pheasant hunting with his father-in-law, Rollen Anthis. One of his most memorable hunts was when Michael H. Shelby invited him to go bird hunting in Argentina.

Despite his love for hunting, he had a soft heart for animals. As a boy and against his mother’s wishes, he adopted a squirrel and brought home other wild creatures he found in the country. Later in life, Charles owned horses, which he rode purely for pleasure and treated like family. He rarely had one dog at a time, continuously rescuing them and giving them forever homes. Visitors to his house would be greeted with barks and wagging tails by the pampered pooches.

Most of all, Charles loved the Lord and his family. Even when his job kept him busy and traveling, he never missed his sons’ games. He was an active Scout leader and liked going on BSA campouts with his boys. Later, when his health deteriorated, he attended several of his youngest grandson’s soccer games, which he enjoyed immensely. 

Charles was a natural storyteller and relished telling stories about his childhood. He particularly liked visits with his lifelong friend, Jeral Petty, where the two would laugh as they reminisced about their boyhood adventures. The last visitor Charles had on this earth was Jeral. Once again, the two smiled and laughed as they talked about their shared experiences growing up in Collinsville.

In retirement, Charles and Jane traveled extensively. They toured Alaska and took numerous trips to Europe. Early in their marriage, Charles promised Jane to take her “to the end of the world.” He fulfilled that promise on a memorable cruise to South America where the two were photographed on the pier at the official “End of the World” route in Chile.

There will be a celebration of Charles’ life on Saturday, January 11, 2025, at 2:00 p.m., followed by a graveside service at 3:00 p.m. (A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service.) The events will be at Restland Funeral Home, 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75243 – Phone (972) 238-7111.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to make a memorial donation to Camp iHope, 2024 W. 15th Street, Suite F, #416, Plano, TX 75075; or to Operation Kindness, 3201 Earhart Drive, Carrollton, Texas 75006.

It is impossible for one person to sum up the many accomplishments, relationships, struggles and joys of such a long and fruitful life. Therefore, the family encourages you to leave some of your favorite memories and/or photos of Charles on the Restland Funeral Home website (click on the ‘Add a Memory’ link) for others to enjoy.