Charles Lee Christmas, PhD of Statesboro, passed away Wednesday morning, July 6, 2022 at Southern Manor surrounded by his loving family. He was born August 10, 1929 in Poseyville, IN, the only son of the late Charles Lewis Christmas and Ellen Lorene Davis Christmas. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Mary Grace Christmas and a grandchild, Rachael Tillman.
Dr. Christmas was educated in the public schools of Indiana and received his BS in Education from Oakland City College, the Masters in Science degree and PhD from the University of Georgia. He was a veteran of the US Navy where he served as a Lt. (j.g.) following completion of the Navy’s Officer Candidate School.
After his honorable discharge from the Navy, he taught and coached in several Indiana public high schools. He was a teaching assistant at the University of Georgia and was on the faculty of Eastern Illinois University. In 1988, he began a 19-year career at Georgia Southern University in 1988 where he taught in the Mathematics Department. Upon his retirement, Dr. Christmas was named Associate Professor Emeritus of Mathematics.
Dr. Christmas is survived by his wife of more than 67 years, Alice Ann Galloway Christmas of Statesboro; daughters, Deborah Christmas of Statesboro, Barbara Tillman of Duluth, GA, Louise Quattlebaum (John) of Statesboro, and son Charles Mason Christmas (Angela) of Statesboro; grandchildren Devin Bannon, Alissa Bannon, Christan Q. Blount (Casey), Morgan Quattlebaum (Cassie), John Quattlebaum Jr. (Lee), Anna Grace Gibbons (Blake) and Katie Christmas; nine great-grandchildren; and a number of nieces and nephews.
He was a member of a number of Honor Societies including Phi Kappa Phi, Omicron Delta Kappa and Phi Delta Kappa. Dr. Christmas received the Deen Day Smith Service to Mankind Award in 1995 and was named Professor of the Year at Georgia Southern.
In retirement, Dr. Christmas was devoted to the game of golf, to woodworking, to following the Eagles and Dawgs, travel and to the 10:30 Coffee Club where along with Earl Lavender, Tal Callaway, Pat Spurgeon and Joe McGlamery, he developed the rules and strategies for THE GAME, a dice game where luck and skills determined which player has the honor of paying for the morning coffee for his friends.
He was a member of First United Methodist Church for forty-five years, many of which were devoted to singing in the Chancel Choir.
Visitation will be held at Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home and Crematory from 6:00 until 8:00 on Thursday evening, July 7 with the celebration of life services at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, July 8 at Statesboro First United Methodist Church. A private burial service will follow the funeral at Trinity Presbyterian Church Cemetery.
Honorary pallbearers will be members of the 10:30 Coffee Club, former Georgia Southern colleagues, as well as Chip Mobley, Norman Wells, Earl Lavender, Max Manack, Don Koch, Warren F. Jones, Arthur Sparks and Frank Beacham.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, gifts be made to the charity of your choice.
The family extends special thanks to the staff at Southern Manor for their professional and loving care extended to their loved one, especially by Glenda Sheffield, Julia Weston, Shalonda Collins and Ralph Cowart.
Friends may sign the online register book at www.joineranderson.com.
Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home & Crematory of Statesboro is in charge of the arrangements.
To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Charles Lee Christmas PhD please visit our Sympathy Store.
