Charles James DeMone

Lt. Col. Charles J. DeMone U.S. Army (Ret.) Lt. Col. Charles J. DeMone, U.S. Army (Ret.) passed away on Monday, February 9, 2009 at a local nursing facility. He was 92 years old. Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 12, 2009 at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road. Burial will follow in Elmwood Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home. Charles was born April 12, 1916, in Everett, Massachusetts to Sadie and Leman DeMone. He lived his early years in Medford, Massachusetts and graduated from Medford High School. He worked with his father in the building business in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He later joined the U.S. Army and served in Germany and various other countries. On April 24, 1948, he married Ruby Peterson and five children were born of this marriage. Ruby DeMone died at Dyess Air Force Base on January16, 1962. Charles served as the Adjutant Officer with the 5th Missile Battalion at the Nike Missile Site. He retired from the U. S. Army at Dyess Air Force Base at the rank of Lt. Colonel after serving 25 years in military service. Charles began taking piano lessons at the early age of nine. When he was 18, he began playing for live stage shows. During the many years, he played with various bands and in Abilene he played the piano for Freddy Woodridge, Dave Adams, Jack Free and B.A. Waltrip. On January 19, 1967, Charles married Billie Jane Hadley. Charles united his five children with her three girls. A family of 10 was made, plus her father for many years. There were six daughters and two sons. There were lots of weddings and lots of grocery shopping. With Charles' building experience and Billie Jane's decorating business, they began purchasing over 100 older homes and restoring them to meet FHA and VA specifications in Abilene. All of the children were involved with the decorating during the summer months with painting, wallpapering, clean-up and whatever it took to make an old home pretty again. At the end of the summer, their hours were totaled and were paid in cash. Then it was time to make a trip to Ft. Worth to shop for school clothes and go to Six Flags. The children have taken all of their many skills into their marriages. Charles leaves to cherish his memories his large wonderful family, Billie Jane DeMone; one sister, Pilla Smith, of Cape Cod, Massachusetts; two sons, Arthur DeMone and wife Pam and Kenneth DeMone and wife Rhonda, of Albuquerque, New Mexico; six daughters, Lois DeMone Allen and husband Ross, of San Marcos, Texas, Sandy Hadley Waskow, Susie Hadley Burleson and husband Marty, Cindy Hadley Norris and husband Robert, Karen DeMone Craft, all of Abilene, Texas and Betsy DeMone DiFrancia and husband Dixon, of Indianapolis, Indiana, as well as 17 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Ruby DeMone, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Leman DeMone, a sister, Bernie Day and a grandson, Kevin Waskow. Most of the 17 grandchildren were in sports—baseball, tennis and football. Charles attended most of the games for many years. His grandchildren and great-grandchild were the love of his life. Memorials may be made to the donor's favorite charity.