Charles Rex Fortson

Charles Rex Fortson, 79, of the Bay Springs Community passed away on Saturday, September 4, 2010 at Noland Hospital in Southeast Alabama Medical Center following a brief illness.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at the Bay Springs Baptist Church with Dr. Scott Wyatt officiating. Burial will follow in Bay Springs Baptist Church Cemetery with Robert Byrd directing. The family will receive friends from 5-7 pm on Monday at the funeral home. Mr. Fortson will be placed in the church one hour prior to service time at the church. Flowers are being accepted or memorial donations may be made to the Bay Springs Baptist Church Building Fund, 1721 S. Bay Springs Rd., Dothan, AL, 36305.Mr. Fortson was born in Houston County on March 3, 1931, the son of the late Willie and Zora Wade Fortson. He was a graduate of Wicksburg High School and a Veteran of the Korean War having served in the U.S. Navy. Following his tour of duty Mr. Fortson was employed with Bell Telephone Co. where he retired after 28 years of service. He was a member of the Bay Springs Baptist Church and enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping, square dancing, and country living. Mr. Fortson was preceded in death by his parents, a brother T.W. Fortson, sisters Frances Fortson Burdett and Evelyn Fortson Mulkey, and several nieces and a nephew.Survivors include his wife of 54 years Janette Deese Fortson of Dothan; a daughter Jan King and her husband Frankie of Dothan; a son Dudley Fortson and his wife Trish of Dothan; grandchildren, Sara Beth King Mandella and her husband Michael of Cowarts, Dustin Fortson of Dothan, Nate Mallory of Dothan and Frankie Mallory and his wife Kayle of Dauphin Island, FL; a great-granddaughter of Callie Mallory; a sister Janice Fortson LaMotte and her husband Chuck of Pensacola, FL; a sister-in-law Brenda Deese Spann and her husband Howard of Dothan; brothers-in-law, Wayne Deese and his wife Mary of Dothan and Spencer Deese and his wife Debby of Clermont, FL; one special niece Judy Mulkey of Milton, FL; many more special nieces and nephews.The Fortson family would especially like to thank Dr. John Burgess and all of the care givers at Noland Hospital as well as the 3rd floor nursing staff at Southeast Alabama Medical Center. You are all truly professional and very caring people and we could not have asked for better care.Serving as active pallbearers will be Mark Foster, Paul Deese, Paul Helms, Levon Fortson, Ray Lewis and Chris Woodham. Burial Date: January 1, 1970