Charles Braly

Charles Braly, 83, passed away of natural causes on May 12, 2023 in Texas.  Charles was born on June 22, 1939 in Kingman, Kansas and was the eldest of the three “boys” of his parents, Katherine Elizabeth Schoeneman Braly and Manford Milo Braly.  During his childhood, his family lived in 17 different places before settling in Nashville, Illinois.  He graduated from Nashville Community High School in 1957.  Then he attended the University of Illinois where he marched in the Fighting Illini band and played the saxophone.  There he met and married Linda Cohn and they had two children, Douglas and Debbie Braly.  Charles transferred to and graduated from Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas.  He received a bachelor’s degree in accounting and went to work with Arthur Anderson.  In 1966 he moved to Edwardsville, Illinois to operate the Anna Henry Nursing Home.  Charles later moved to Savannah, Georgia where he married Phyllis Braly.  During his career, Charles had a number of entrepreneurial businesses including Eldercare which had nursing homes in Edwardsville, Belleville and Alton, Illinois, the Tree Hut childcare center and the Chalet Restaurant in Belleville.  Subsequently, Charles moved to Georgia where he founded a company which designed software for time management systems and a separate pharmacy management business.  He married Paula Braly and they lived in Marietta, Georgia.  Later Charles returned to the Belleville area and then Nashville, Illinois where he and his brothers Jim and Clint cared for their mother Katherine “Kay” Braly.  Eventually he moved to Wylie, Texas to be close to his then fiancé Nancy Tillery.

 Charles had a passion for libertarian ideas and followed and studied liberty and freedom under a number of important scholars in the field.
 Charles was preceded in death by his parents, Katherine and Manford, his brothers Clinton and James and by his beloved daughter Deborah Lynn Braly.  He is survived by his son Douglas, his daughter-in-law Angela and his grandchildren Tyler (Indianapolis), Matthew (Brooklyn) and Rachel (Nashville, Tennessee.)  He is also survived by his former wives, Linda Cohn Cassens, Paula Braly and his fiancé Nancy Tillery.

 A celebration of life will be held at 12 Noon on Saturday, August 19, 2023 at the gravesite at the Masonic Cemetery in Nashville, Illinois. The cemetery is located across from Nashville Community High School at 1300 South Mill Street, IL-127. Look for a Blue Tent. Following the brief memorial at the gravesite, the family will gather at the Little Nashville Restaurant 11700 IL-127 near the intersection with Interstate 64. No flowers or donations are expected.

Styninger Funeral Home in Nashville is in charge of arrangements.  Online expressions of sympathy may be made at www.styningerfuneralhomes.com or on the funeral homes Facebook page.

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