The man who melded families

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The man who melded families

By Gerry Hostetler – February 6, 2011

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When relationships and marriages end, it is sometimes difficult to maintain a connection with the children and extended relatives involved.

No easy job this, but Charles Clarence Speller, who died January 21, 2011, was a master at it.

Charles, a retired truck driver who moved to Huntersville from Denver, Colo., in 2005, died of pulmonary fibrosis at age 77.

He had sons Bryan and Sherwin Speller and daughters Eleanor, Shawn and Chandra. Mix these with stepsons Luther Jones and Hannibal Cloud and stepdaughters Stephanie Jones and Sharon Cloud. Add to that 19 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, throw a passel of nieces and nephews into this melting pot, and you have a recipe for happiness that Charles stirred well.

He had nine children

His wife, Doris, said, “He treated them all the same as his children. He worried about them and called them consistently. He traveled all over the country to be at special events in their lives, and if you asked him, he had nine children.”

Charles met Doris Cloud through relatives in the Bronx, New York, in 1975.

“We loved each other from the beginning,” Doris said.

Both already had children, so they waited to marry until 1994.

“We wanted to make sure those children were old enough to make decisions for themselves,” Doris said.

“He was a great grandpa to the children” son Bryan said. “He would take time to see them. He did a lot of traveling to see them and sent savings bonds like clockwork.”

Charles was “Pop-Pop” to all the grand- and great-grandchildren.

He was strict when he needed to be, Bryan said. “He wanted us to understand the meaning of a good education. He established authority early, and he never spanked us when we were older. He educated us to be a man and what the world was about.”

Generous with love, hugs

Daughter Eleanor Guardino said her dad truly loved to get and give undivided attention.

“People found him interesting, and when you spoke to him, he was truly focused on what you had to say,” she said. “He had a big heart and was generous in giving what you needed -- his wisdom, love, a hug or an ear to listen.”

Hannibal Cloud admired his step-dad because “He took very, very good care of my mother. He tried to be in everybody’s life and pretty much organized the gatherings. He looked forward to holidays, birthdays and reunions. He had a deep, authoritative voice, and when you heard that voice, you knew who it was.”

Friend George Tyson had known Charles since 1966 when they worked at Merit Dress Delivery in Manhattan, New York.

“He was a good, steady worker until it went out of business in 1983,” George said. “We used to have backyard barbecues, and company and family get-togethers. He was a helluva, helluva nice guy.”

The folks at Denver Weekly News, for which Charles made deliveries, shared that opinion.

“He was truly special and inspirational, and we are blessed to have known him during his time in Colorado,” the paper’s online condolence read.

Special and inspirational: What better way could there be to describe Charles Clarence Speller?
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Editor's note: This is our series called Lives That Matter. Written by Charlotte writer Gerry Hostetler, this weekly feature will profile individuals, recently deceased, who had a positive impact on those around them.