Charles Millard Countryman

Services for Charles Millard Countryman, III will be held Saturday, October 19, 2013 at 1:30 PM at Stewart Family Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow at Rose Lawn Cemetery. Charles Millard Countryman III died on Thursday, October 17, 2013, after a long struggle with medical complications related to a stroke in June. Millard was born in Rockford, IL on July 11, 1931, and Tyler has been his home since 1985. He was a loving, supportive and giving husband, father and grandfather. Millard graduated from West Rockford High School in Rockford, IL, and the University of Illinois in 1954 where he was president of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He was a successful businessman beginning with working for W.H. Minor Corporation in Chicago and ending his corporate career with the Galveston-Houston Company in Houston. In Tyler, he had a successful real estate career working with his wife under the slogan “Spouses Selling Houses.” He was an avid sportsman and especially loved tennis and basketball. However, his true love and passion was for tennis. He began assisting at tennis tournaments in the early 1980s, and later became a certified United States Tennis Association tennis official in 1990. He continued to be a certified USTA tennis official for over 23 years, and he held several certifications for refereeing and officiating at both USTA and Intercollegiate Tennis Association tennis events. Because of his love and passion for the game of tennis, Millard devoted countless hours umpiring and working at tennis tournaments and supporting the development of tennis programs throughout the State of Texas. Millard was also extremely active in and supportive of the tennis programs at Tyler Tennis and Swim Club, Holley Tree Country Club, and several other East Texas tennis facilities. Millard is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Nancy Nelson Countryman; his four children, daughter Nancy Countryman Collings and husband David Collings of Tyler; and three sons Cam Countryman and wife Adele Countryman of Houston, Randy Countryman and wife Lori Countryman of Fenton, MO, and Clay Countryman and wife Shannon Countryman of Baton Rouge; and ten grandchildren Kyle Countryman and his wife Leslie, Kevin and his wife Nicole, Alex Countryman List and her husband Mark, Kelsey Countryman Tennesen and husband Craig Tennesen, Kate Countryman, Betsy Countryman, and Molly Countryman, and Brady Collings and Casey Collings; and six great grandchildren Mason Countryman, Brice Countryman, Reed Countryman, Lily Countryman, Ella Countryman, and Miller Caroline List (Miller was named after Millard in his honor after his stroke). We would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to a very special nurse, Mariama Darboe, for being so loving and caring with our father. Millard was a wonderful and loving husband, father and grandfather and will be deeply missed by all who knew him. “I have fought the fight, I have finished the race, and I kept the faith…”2 Timothy 4:7-8a. Rest in peace Dad. We love you In lieu of flowers, donations may be to the C. Millard Countryman, III Scholarship Foundation for the tennis program at the Tyler Junior College.

Charles Millard Countryman

July 11, 1931 - October 17, 2013