Cover photo for Charlie  Ezell's Obituary
Charlie  Ezell Profile Photo

Charlie Ezell

d. August 31, 2015

Charlie Ezell

Charlie Ezell was a self-made man with an innate and exceptional mechanical mastery who loved fast vehicles, his adopted hometown of Biloxi, mischievous pranks and, most of all, his Sweetie ~ wife Eileen Mahoney-Ezell. His passing Monday, August 31, 2015 was a call from God that Heaven must have a broken air conditioner, she said. Charlie’s 71 years were spent enjoying Costal life with family and friends from his beginnings in Florida through his later years in Biloxi. He rode motorcycles, dune buggies, cars and boats. He rode them fast and hard through a life otherwise paced a little slower. He was a devoted family man and a loyal friend whose unassuming manner and extraordinary competence that came to be appreciated and valued across the Gulf South. He never boasted of his mechanical expertise, but thrived when proving doubters wrong. “If you ever told him he couldn’t do something, he’d prove you wrong every time,” marveled longtime Florida friend Jimmy Smith. “He was a very special guy, the kind of guy who never met a stranger. And he always would do anything for anybody.” Charlie was from the Apalachicola-Panama City area, but spent his brief school years in Pensacola. Early on he began a career in mechanics. He and Smith became friends while in a motorcycle club in Pensacola. Not long after, Charlie became a commercial refrigeration mechanic. He attended Carrier University in Syracuse, NY where he obtained certification in Industrial HVAC. It was a fortuitous change that uncovered his calling, eventually earning him recognition as one of the best industrial mechanics in the region. That distinction offered considerable financial rewards elsewhere, but by that point, he was committed to a life in Biloxi with Eileen and his extended family, the Mahoneys. Charlie’s first job in Biloxi was at Edgewater Mall. He later help build a shrimp peeling plant on Back Bay. Then he returned to his calling, building a successful Biloxi business in Industrial HVAC repair. His friend Rusty David introduced him to Eileen and Charlie’s small social circle immediately expanded into the Mahoney brand. Charlie’s expertise and guidance was the driving force that got Mary Mahoney’s historic restaurant up and running just 55 days after Hurricane Katrina’s devastation with help from his friends throughout the region. Charlie worked hard and was loved by many. He was “Uncle Charlie” to many who were lucky enough to have him in their extended family. He was “Ladder Daddy” to Nicole and Josh who adored him as well as his entertaining stories, mechanical genius, work ethic, honesty and the infinite love they shared for his “sweetie” their mom. Charlie loved being an aggravation and a practical jokester. It never seemed to bother those he targeted because it was a sign he liked them. Charlie had many hobbies and loved to travel to Isla Mujeres, Mexico but one of his favorite things was to be on the water and go to Horn Island with his family and friends aboard the Miss Eileen. He was a quiet, soft spoken, humble man who never thought he was anything special, but those around him, he was a God send! Charlie was one of a kind, and to those whose lives he touched they felt blessed and fortunate to have shared time with him. Charlie’s friends will cherish memories of him as a giving, gentle person with a powerful grip that could bend pliers, as Jimmy Smith said. His extended family will remember him as a proud husband, father, grandfather and in-law. All who came to know him will remember him. “If you’re lucky in life to have two or three friends like Charlie, you’re really blessed,” added David. “He was always there for you, and with you." Charlie was preceded in death by his parents, Charlie Sr. and Lucille Ezell, and father- and mother-in-law Bob and Mary Mahoney. He is survived by his wife and the love of his life, Eileen Mahoney-Ezell; daughter Donna Ezell; granddaughter Alana Vancica of Dacula, GA; step-daughter Nicole Carlisle, husband Chris Carlisle and step-granddaughter Camille Carlisle; step-son Josh Pitalo and Megan Broussard; brother- and sister-in-law Bobby and Sandy Mahoney; sister Joanne Windham, brother-in-law Rocky Windham, nephew Mitchell Windham and nephew Cody Windham of Pensacola. There will be a private service at a later time. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers a donation to the St. Vincent DePaul Pharmacy in Biloxi. The Family wishes to thank all the medical professionals and the staff at SADD’s Health Care for all their help. The Howard Avenue Chapel of Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. View and sign register book at www.bradfordokeefe.com
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