Charlene Williams Steinbeck

CHARLENE WILLIAMS STEINBECK, 88, of Little Rock, Ark., formerly of West Helena, Ark., died Easter Sunday, March 27, 2016 at Hospice Home Care in Little Rock. Charlene was born July 14, 1927 in Biscoe, Ark., the daughter of the late Thomas W. and Carrie S. Williams. Charlene was a loving mother, devoted wife and friend to many. She was a Christian and life long member of the West Helena Baptist Church. Following two years at Ouachita Baptist College, she moved to West Helena, where she met and married. Charlene worked for the late E. E. Terry at Terry Aircraft, based at the small municipal airport in West Helena. As the administrator of a small town airport, the coordination of crop dusting, aircraft maintenance, sport flying, air traffic control and even commercial air passenger scheduling were all part of her everyday life for over 30 years. After retirement, she and her husband, Harry, moved to Little Rock to be close to family. One of her many loves was the exploration of historic sites and state and national parks. She traveled extensively, proud to have visited every state in the nation, with a particular fondness for the northern wilderness of Alaska and neighboring Canadian Territories. She was also an avid collector of depression glass, loved crossword puzzles and reading, was a huge Razorback fan, enjoyed attending UALR basketball games, was a skilled seamstress and loved spending time with her granddaughter and three sisters. Charlene was proceeded in death by her parents, her husband Harry G. Steinbeck, her brothers, James and Charles Williams and sister, Elsie Gray. She is survived by her daughter, Debbie Roe and husband, Joe Roe, son, Greg Steinbeck and wife, Carolyn and granddaughter, Madeline Steinbeck, all of Little Rock, Ark. She is survived by two sisters, Mabel Thompsen and Joan Overton and husband, Jimmy and niece, Suzy Fehlig and husband, Chuck, all of Rogers, Ark. Late in life, Charlene suffered from Alzheimer's, eventually residing at the Ginny & Bob Shell Alzheimer's Center, where she lived for the past four years. The family wishes to thank Ms. Sharon Hernandez and the excellent nursing staff at the Parkway Village center and the nursing staff at Hospice Home Care for their loving care. A private graveside service will be held at the Arkansas Veterans Cemetery in North Little Rock. Memorials may be made to either the Alzheimer's Association, Arkansas Chapter, 204 Executive Court, Suite 301, Little Rock, Ark. 72205 or the UAMS Foundation Fund, STOP Alzheimer's, 4301 W. Markham Street, Little Rock, Ark. 72205. Arrangements by Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.