Charles Sutton Fizer Jr.

1919 - 2016

FIZER, CHARLES SUTTON, Jr. 1/11/19 -11/11/16 A native of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, Charles Fizer Jr. passed away at the age of 97 in Jacksonville, FL. on Veterans' Day. A WWII veteran, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross while serving as a flight engineer in a B-29 as part of the 873rd Bomb Squadron, 498th Bomb group, 73rd Bomb Wing, Saipan, in the Mariana Islands, whose missions (29) took him over the Japanese mainland. At subsequent squadron reunions, family members were informed by crewmates that "Charlie got us back every time" no matter how bad the damage to their plane. After the war, he served as a flight engineer for several airlines, including Japan Airlines and finally Eastern, a company which eventually eliminated the flight engineer slots. He and a group of fellow flight engineers went into the fast food franchise business, employing scores of young people along the way. In Newton, Texas, he was most helpful to his sisters Helen and Lucinda, who predeceased him, and the youngest, Georgie Richardson, who lives there now. The siblings owned and operated a grocery store in Newton. Also in Texas are nephew Larry and nieces Helen Marie, Kathleen and Patty, and he was predeceased by nephew Clayton and niece Penny Rae. A forest fire claimed the home he had built in Newton, and he returned to Florida where he had previously built a home when he worked for Eastern. He instilled in his offspring the importance of hard work and the duty an individual has to look after one's family. His father built sawmills in Louisiana and Charlie ran them beginning at the age of 13. A football star in the Lake Charles area, he married a Texas girl, Ruth LaVerne Cooksey, who survives him, bringing joy and warmth wherever she goes. Their children followed the excellent examples set by their parents as to work, service and family obligation: Son Charles III (Lauren) has expanded a sheet metal business (Doudney) throughout Florida; daughter Marilyn (Don) has spent the last decade raising money for charitable organizations, most recently as Executive Director of The Women's Fund of Miami-Dade; and daughter Anita (Robert) has served as a nurse (RN) around the world , currently in Boulder, CO. The Fizers have nine grandchildren: Charles IV (Marleena), Carrie (Chris), Cory (Tara), Craig (Jessica), Darla (Luis), Melissa (Troy), Don (Mary), Hannah and Mei. Great grandchildren include Shannon (Bobby), Jenna (Nick), Charles V - "Chad", Luis, Tomas, Daniel, Emma, Caleb, Sarah, Eli, Kyle, Sophia, Emily, Tori, Ava, Anderson, Stella, Madison, and Holden. There are two great great grandchildren, Madison and Cohban and Mr. Fizer was predeceased by two of their siblings, twins Grady and Ryder. The last eighteen months of his life were spent in hospitals and rehabilitation centers and the family is most appreciative of the attending staff of Baptist Beaches Hospital, Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital and the McGraw Hospice Center, all in the Jacksonville area. He found wonderful people there, at every turn. Prior to that, the Veterans Administration in Miami was a most positive care giving environment and his almost weekly visits there were characterized by patient and thoughtful service to a man who had served his country, his family and all who came to know him, in a most honorable way. He will be sorely missed as he is remembered as a wonderful, loving, humorous husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather and friend. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 28, 2017 at 1100 hours, in the Chapel of South Miami United Methodist Church, US 1 and Red Road, South Miami, Fl. An additional memorial service will be held at The National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas in the spring of 2017. In lieu of flowers, please provide support to the charity of your choice.