Charles Morris Houston

1923 - 2024

Charles Morris Houston

February 16, 1923 - October 22, 2024

Fresno, California - Charles Morris Houston of Fresno, California died on October 22, 2024. He was born in Fresno on February 16, 1923. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in Fresno in June 1940 and attended Fresno State College from 1940-42, studying engineering.

Chuck joined the U.S. Navy in June 1942 and was commissioned as Ensign and Naval Aviator in June 1943. He joined Fighter Squadron VF-14, flying Grumman Hellcat F6F fighters and boarded Carrier U.S.S. Wasp in January 1944. He served as a carrier fighter pilot in the Pacific from May to November 1944. He received official credit for four Japanese fighter planes shot down and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and three Air Medals.

In early April of 1951, Charles married Priscilla Thomas Watson. By marrying Priscilla, he became our brother Warren's father, a privilege he took seriously until and beyond Warren's death in 2007.

The births of three more children occurred in the same span of years that his ceramic businesses were getting started. Our childhood was influenced by his building of the speculative house next door, featuring his ceramic tiles and murals. We children also remember his founding of Terra Stone Tile Company.

Priscilla Watson Houston died in 1982, and after her passing Chuck's parenting role became more pronounced with his four children ~ Warren Houston, Holly Houston, Kitty Houston, and Brad Houston ~ as their extended families grew. These include Kitty's family ~ the Tovars (Eduardo, Elena, Stephanie, Julia); Holly's family ~ the Wiggins (Grant, Justin, Ian, Priscilla), and Linda and Ray Collier (Trevor Houston). He was given the gift of many great grandchildren, with more on the way.

In the mid-1980s, he met and later married Frances Harvey Mosgrove. He enjoyed an active role in the lives of Fran's adult children ~ Karen, Anne, and James. Those bonds expanded to include daughter- and sons-in-law along with grandchildren.

In his late 70s he wrote a book about his experience of war in the Pacific. At that later stage of his life he had the opportunity to revisit his wartime losses and achievements as he and his squadron mates gathered for reunions. Out of those gatherings grew an idea for settling the record ~ the correction of memories and the examination of official flight records ~ and after a few years there emerged a thick published volume that builds from the illicit journals of his squadron mates. Flying with Iron Angels reviews the squadron's experience in 1944 as the U.S. Navy engaged with the Japanese Navy over Marcus, Wake, Tinian, Saipan, Eniwetok, Iwo Jima, Guam, Palau, Mindanao, Morotai, Manila, Okinawa, Miyako, Formosa, North Luzon, Bataan, Luzon, and Leyte. Those names of battle sites in the Pacific didn't get much of his conscious attention in the decades after the war ~ until the 1990s when he decided to tell a war story from many perspectives, and to offer explicit gratitude to the young men and many good friends who had vanished fifty years before.

Given that he has outlived most of his squadron mates, most of his friends, as well as his two wives, it is a privilege to be among those few who have witnessed the distillation of his essence as his energy has declined. We have witnessed a man who made his living with his mind and with his hands. Then, in older age he lost his ability to use those highly refined powers of creativity and craftsmanship. But, he kept reading and, thanks to Brad, he kept taking daily walks through his neighborhood. And what we saw, in the end, was his unerring kindness and grace.

The Houston family will welcome friends at the home of Kitty Houston at 415 E. Fairmont Avenue in Fresno on Saturday, November 16, 2024 at 12:00 noon. Please join us for conversation and lunch.