Charles Elcoy Jordan, known as Charlie, passed away peacefully in Fairhope on Sept. 3. He had just celebrated his 82nd birthday.
Charlie was born on Aug. 25, 1933 in Buckatunna, Miss., a son of the late Nathan and Ada Jordan. Charlie attended Millry High School and graduated in 1951. Following high school, he attended the University of Southern Mississippi.
He retired from Sears, Roebuck & Co. in 1993 after 36 years of service, primarily in the position of retail store manager.
Charlie was an honorary lifetime member of the Bay County Chamber of Commerce, and he served on the Mobile County School Commission from 1994 to 1998.
Charlie was preceded in death by his first wife, Voncile Rigney Jordan; his daughter, Beverly Jordan Amos; sisters, Malvena Sikes and Daisy Loper; and brothers, J.M. Jordan and Fred Jordan.
Charlie is survived by his wife, Lenell Sikes Jordan, to whom he was happily married for 21 years; his devoted sisters, Essie Williams and Janice Jordan; his son-in-law, Steve Amos; his grandchildren, Chelsea and Brian Amos, whom he dearly loved; and his stepchildren, Stephanie Curtin and Steven Robinson; along with their spouses and children as well as numerous nieces, nephews and dear friends.
Notable for so many things including his meticulously groomed yard, dislike of squirrels, love of good food (especially his wife, Lenell’s, cooking) and absolutely magic ability to coax children to sleep by rubbing their ears, Charlie had an easy smile and direct manner.
Charlie loved to have fun, and in recent years, he and Lenell participated in the Revelers, giving both of them the opportunity to dress up and to dance.
He openly mourned the slow demise of print newspapers and his time reading every page and sharing with whomever was in the room the bits of news and information he learned.
He loved good gospel music and possessed a quiet confidence in his faith. Besides his family and his Lord, Charlie loved playing golf and watching sports of all kinds, sometimes requiring multiple screens simultaneously to keep up.
A lifelong and devoted Alabama football fan, he was full of stories of his devotion and the associated game-day superstitions.
Above all, Charlie was a good, proud and loyal man. He faced his recent and devastating cancer diagnosis with grace and even some humor. He was deeply loved and will be sorely missed.
A memorial service will be held on Sept. 9, at 11 a.m. at Fairhope United Methodist Church. Visitation will begin an hour prior to the service.
