Biography: Charles Whitfield Helton was born in Harlem Hospital on September 7^th, 1959 in New York City to Ruby Porter Whitfield and Richard Whitfield. He was raised by his Aunt Margie Helton in Chattanooga, TN. Charles graduated from Brainerd High School in 1977.

While in high school he was active in sports; he wore the red and white as member of the Brainerd Panthers football team and played defense. Charles enlisted in the United States Marines in 1977 and served for four years. In 1980 he re-enlisted with the United States Air Force. While in the Air Force he received highly specialized training including basic metallurgy, aerospace construction, magnetic particle inspection and analysis of atomic absorption spectromics. He completed his service in the Air Force with rank of sergeant along with having received US government high level security clearances.

He is the recipient of the Air Force Good Conduct Medal, Training Ribbon and Longevity Service Ribbon. He would later join the US Reserves. In 1989 Charles completed an Associates Degree in Metals Technology Engineering from the Community College of the Air Force in Mongomery AL.

In 2007 he would complete his BS in Religious Studies at Liberty College in Lynchburg VA. In 1990 Charles Joined Public Service Electric & Gas (PSEG)in New Jersey as a Test and Quality Engineer. Over the next thirty-one years he would track test results and defect counts, collaborate and approve written procedures for non-destructive policy, oversee testing for nuclear outages and train multiple personnel. He retired from PSEG in 2021 as the Senior Test Engineer.

Throughout his life Charles was a deeply religious man and devoted to God. He enjoyed world travel. He visited many parts of the world with his mother sister and other family. He enjoyed taking annual family cruises where he has playfully stated “I’m the life of the party”.

Charles is survived by his brothers Bentley and Allen, his nieces and nephews Anita, Willie Fred, Tony, Daphne, Lateecha, Erinn, Bentley Richard, Clark, Winston, Ashley; and his cousins Antonea, April,  Christopher, Crystal, Christina, Patrick, Angie and Devon and members of his church family at Happy Valley Baptist Church in Glendale AZ.