Charles Lee Almond

Life Reflections

Charles Lee Almond ("Farmer", "Charlie", and “Chah-lee") was born January 17, 1947 in Suffolk, Virginia. His mother, Allean Almond made her transition to her final resting place when he was merely twelve years old. He was then taken into the care of Aunt Marjorie and Uncle Herman Almond who lived in New York. There, Charles graduated from Westinghouse High School in 1966 when he was recruited by the Harlem Globetrotters but opted to take a different path. He kept in close contact with his southern family from Baltimore, Virginia, North and South Carolina until he departed the east coast.

His journey led him to join the esteemed ranks of the United States Air Force where his tour took him to the brisk airs of Alaska, a far cry from the sweltering summers of Virginia. He played for the basketball team and parlayed those skills into a basketball scholarship at the College of Emporia. Though the climate was more moderate than either Virginia or Alaska, the romance that heated up Kansas far exceeded anything he expected.

Farmer met Joan Rogers in 1970 while she attended Kansas State Teacher's College where they shared an incredible network of activists, movers, shakers and dear friends. Many of those dear friends attended their wedding. Both having earned their degrees, they were off to the (little) big city.

The Almonds, settled in Kansas City, not far from where they met, and started their own their family. The Rogers family was well-established in the Kansas City area, and came to love Charlie as part of their clan.

His professional career led him to CIT, EOF, Kansas Department of Corrections and the United States Post Office. He also worked at Turner House as a substance abuse counselor. He also coached many successful youth basketball teams. He also participated for many years in "social league softball", where he made great friends and a couple of double plays.

Family was a source of great pride for Charlie. He supported both "Rabbit" and "Chuggy" at every opportunity, from practices to orchestra concerts, plays, to scrimmages to games to State Tournaments. He was also a very proud grandfather to Paul Rashaan Almond Prince.

He leaves behind his loving wife of 43 years, Joan, son, Staff Sgt. Charles (Chuggy) Rashaan Almond, Aviano, Italy, daughter, LezLynn "Rabbit" Almond-Prince (Ronald) and grandson, Paul Rashaan Almond-Prince, Duluth, Georgia; brothers, Larry B. Almond (Gaynelle), Suffolk, Virginia; Clarence A. "Dexter" Jones (Victoria), Kansas City, KS;  Darryl Allmond, Cabria Heights, New York; Eugene Edwards, Jr. (Evangeline), Accokeek, Maryland; and Enoch Edwards, Westland, Michigan; sisters, Marjorie Denise Cole (Larry), Suffolk, Virginia; Jantzen Meyers (Bob), Waldorf,  Maryland; Jacquelyn Bracy (Ben), Westland, Michigan; and Sabrina Bedford (Charles), San Antonio, TX; aunts, Marjorie Allmond, Cambria Heights, New York; Alice Manley, Suffolk, Virginia; Sandra Cooper, Baltimore, Maryland; Shirley Branch, Suffolk, Virginia; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

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