Charles Linwood Puckett

Charles Linwood Puckett was born in Burlington, North Carolina, to Harry Watts Puckett and Lula Jordan Crowder on October 19, 1940.
He was known as Doc by some, CLP by others, the Godfather of Plastic Surgery by his residents, and Papa by his grandkids.
He passed away at the age of 85 in the Arbors at Ravenwood, in Moberly, Missouri, on January 8, 2026.
He grew up in Burlington, North Carolina, with his parents and sister, Ann. He attended Bowman Gray Medical School at Wake Forest University and completed his general surgery and plastic surgery training at Duke University. He then moved to Columbia, Missouri, to become the head of the plastic surgery department at the University of Missouri, Columbia, where he worked for 39 years. He trained many residents who went on to become outstanding plastic surgeons.
He achieved many accolades throughout his career. One of the most notable was serving as the president of the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons in 2000.
He loved being a surgeon, driving his tractor, riding horses, raising cattle, bailing hay, building barns and treehouses, and building fences.
For many years, he raised Great Danes-and was often spotted in town with the dogs hanging their heads out his truck window. He loved snow skiing in Vail, Colorado; boating at the Lake of the Ozarks; teaching his kids to water ski and snow ski; and sitting on the beach reading a book usually with a cigar in his mouth.
He is survived by his wife, Teresa, and his children, Lisa (John), Loy (Lynn), Leslie (Mike), and Harry, as well as seven grandchildren: Lauren, Landon, Jenny, Sarah, Joe, Olivia, and Jackson.