Beloved brother and uncle and renowned ladies’ man Charles B. Rehkopf went to be with his lord and savior on May 27, 2021. He passed away peacefully in his sleep at 93 years old.
Charles, also known as Uncle B, C.B., and Prince Charles, was born on October 13, 1927, in Texarkana, Texas. As a young man, he worked at his father’s mattress company and spent plenty of quality time with his nieces and nephews—he especially loved to take them out for ice cream and to boost their confidence by pretending the person with the highest score in mini-golf was the winner. He loved to ride his Harley, and to this day, his photo is still on display at the Texarkana Harley-Davidson. He served in the U.S. Army for a short time before being honorably discharged. Then, he moved to Dallas and worked in the mailroom of the Wall Street Journal, where he retired after 23 years.
After retirement, he married his wife Chris. They enjoyed life together at the Waterford in Mesquite, Texas, until she passed away. C.B. lived at the Waterford for 17 years and left many close friends, and, after he lost his beloved wife, many girlfriends—they couldn’t resist his great hugs. C.B. enjoyed playing cards and dominoes for fun, but you had to keep an eye on him to make sure he was playing fair.
C.B. was a kind, thoughtful man who was beloved by everyone who knew him. He is preceded in death by his wife Chris, his father Albert Rehkopf, his mother Bertha Rehkopf, his brother Orin Clinton Rehkopf, and his sisters Bertha Friday, Kathaleen Barnet, and Ressa Tabler. He is survived by his sister Mary Hazel Byes of Texarkana, Texas, and brother Robert Rehkopf of Dumas, Texas, along with many nieces and nephews who will dearly miss his hugs, jokes, and infectious smile.
His memorial service will take place at the Stateline Cemetery in Texarkana, Arkansas, on Friday, June 4 at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Literacy Council of Bowie & Miller Counties, P.O. Box 1111, Texarkana, TX/AR 75504.
