Charles M. Deaton

Charles M. Deaton Greenwood
Charles M. Deaton, 76, died Wednesday June 6, 2007 at Greenwood Leflore Hospital. Visitation will be held Friday at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. and Saturday June 9, 2007 from 9:00 a.m until Memorial service at 10:30 a.m.. The Rev. R.H. Craig Gates, Rev. Matthew Rowe and Rev. Charles M. Deaton, Jr. will be officiating the services. Interment will be 5:00 p.m. Saturday at the Hollywood Cemetery in McComb, MS.
He was born January 19, 1931 to Ivanes Dean and Martha Fortenberry Deaton in Hattiesburg, MS.He was a graduate of Greenwood High School and Millsaps College where he obtained a B.A. degree. He attended George Washington University School of Law and Graduated from the University of Mississippi with a Juris Doctor Degree.
Mr Deaton served four years in the United States Navy during the Korean War on the USS Picking. He received commendation for his meritorious service. Mr. Deaton was a practicing attorney with the Law Firm of Brewer, Deaton, & Bowman, PLLC, in Greenwood, MS since 1958. He was a member of the Leflore County, State of Mississippi and the American Bar Associations.
He served as President of the Leflore County Bar Association from October 1985 to October 1987. He was former City Attorney for the City of Greenwood from 1970-1984, former Delta Council Director from 1980-1981, He had been a member of the Board of Directors for the Bank of Commerce since 1985.
Mr. Deaton had various public service's: Legislative Assistant in Washington, DC for Congressman Frank E. Smith, MS; Administrative Assistant to Mississippi Governors William Winter and Bill Allain, Mississippi House of Representatives from 1960 till 1980; where he had served as Chairman of Appropriations Committee; He was on the Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA, former Vice-Chairman of the Board for 10 years.; former president of the Mississippi Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, Former Chairman of the Mississippi Wildlife Heritage Commission, Member of the Outer Continental Shelf Advisory Committee to the US Department of Interior appointed Mississippi Representative to the Committee by Governor's William Winter and Bill Allain. He was a member of Mississippi Board of Economic Development fro 1980-1988. He was a former trustee and Chairman of the Public Employee's retirement system from 1976-1979. He was member of the Executive Committee of the National Conference of State Legislators, Member of the Mississippi Water Resources Management Planning Commission, Former Chairman of the Mississippi State Board of Education for 17 years which was the longest serving member his term ended in 2004.
Mr Deaton had numerous Civic honors including: Mississippi Conservationist of the Year Award in 1991 by the Nature Conservancy; 1992 National Oak Leaf Award from the Nature Conservancy,; Honoree Mississippi Easter Seals Society Charity Roast,; Chairman of Greenwood Arts Festival,; Greenwood Jaycees 1961 YOUNG MAN OF THE YEAR,; Millsaps College Sports Hall of Fame(Football and Basketball),; Greenwood Lion's Club 1977 Outstanding Citizen of Leflore County,; 1995 Millsaps College Alumnus of the Year,;1995 Community Service Award by the Greenwood Commonwealth,; The 3,273 acre Charles M. Deaton Nature Preserve dedicated on May 13, 1999 by Mississippi Chapter of the Nature Conservancy.
He is survived by his wife Mary Dent Dickerson Deaton of Greenwood, MS,; Daughter, Beverly Diane Deaton Rossi and her husband Eugene J Rossi, and their children Leigh Taylor Rossi, William Deaton Rossi, John Dickerson Rossi, Daughter, Dara Lane Deaton Rogers and Husband Jonathan T. Rogers and their children, Louis Dent Rogers, Davis Lane Rogers, and Travis Deaton.; Son Charles Milton Deaton Jr and wife Jennifer M. Deaton and there child Charles Milton Deaton, III.
Memorial may be made to the Church of the Nativity (Capital Campaign) P. O. Box 1006, Greenwood, MS, and the Nature Conservancy of Mississippi.