CHARLES EARL PRESTON

CHARLES EARL PRESTON, 87, of Proctorville, Ohio, went home to be with his Lord on Thursday, September 24, 2020. He was born May 29, 1933, in Longacre, W.Va., a son of the late Ralph Chatfield Preston and Mary Margaretta Bess. Charles was an American patriot having served his country in Korea during the Korean War from 1950-1954 as a Staff Sergeant, and as a Christian on his knees praying for spiritual revival in America. As a man, he typified a man of character, integrity, honor and decency. As a Christian, he was a man of great faith, sincere devotion, genuine humility, strong conviction and a relentless sense of duty to love and serve his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He was a beloved member of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Huntington, W.Va. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Janet Myrtle Peters in 1986, and his second wife, Joan Marie Montgomery Burns in 2020; a brother, Ralph Chatfield Preston Jr.; two sisters, Betty (Cecil) Whitt, Patsy (Charles) Hendricks. He is survived by his son, Ralph Chatfield Preston III; his daughter, Patricia (Patrick) Heath; his granddaughter, Jennifer (John Robert) Danielle Heath Murdock; and his great-grandchildren, Jade Anne Murdock, Adaline Juliette Murdock, Caden Heath Murdock and William Chase Murdock. There will be a memorial service at 3 p.m. Thursday, October 1, at Lighthouse Baptist Church. He will be laid to rest in the Houston National Cemetery in Houston, Texas, with his first wife, Janet. Leavitt Funeral Home, Parkersburg, W.Va., is assisting his family with arrangements.