SHANDERA, CHARLES GARLAND (1928 ~ 2007). The following is a family-placed obituary for Charles Garland Shandera, former Executive Director of the Texas Criminal Justice Policy Council. The obituary was provided by The Huntsville Item.
"Charles Garland Shandera was born Feb. 5, 1928, and passed away after a long, full life on Nov. 2, 2007. He was born in Yoakum, Texas, to Edward Thomas and Emma Angeline Mladenka Shandera and was one of four children including three sons and one daughter. He served in the Air Force from 1951 to 1953.
He married the love of his life, Dorothy Frances Hammitt on April 22, 1965, and spent 44 years in loyal and distinguished service to the state of Texas in various positions in probation and parole, including a member of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and the first Chief Adult Probation Officer for Harris County. Throughout his career and his personal life, Shandera continually sought to help those who had made bad choices in their own lives, taking him to a range of settings - from the jail cell to the classroom as a volunteer. Without the title, he was a life-long teacher and mentor to countless people.
He will be missed by many and leaves behind a legacy of dedication, service and loyalty to his God, his country, his community, his friends and especially his family. His survivors include wife Dorothy Shandera; son Steven Shandera, and three daughters, Shar-Lee Shandera, Deborah Shandera and Cynthia Shandera Johnson; son-in-law Andy Johnson and daughter-in-law Holly Shandera. He also leaves behind five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, as well as hundreds of friends and acquaintances, all of whom consider their lives better and richer for having known this wonderful man who viewed every day as a gift.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children Research Hospital.
Services will be held at 11a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2007, at the First Presbyterian Church. Interment will be at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, Texas on Thursday Nov. 8, 2007, at noon. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at the funeral home."
Further information is available through the Texas State Cemetery research department. |
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