Obituary— Charlotte Hassenflue
Charlotte Hassenflu, 79, of Boerne, Texas, passed away May 8, 2020, at her home in Boerne with her beloved husband, Alan, and her Shih Tzu, Sassy, near her side. She was born on August 21, 1940, in Winslow, Arizona, and was the oldest daughter of Kermit Charles Holmes and Marjorie Fowler Holmes. In 1947, at age 7, she and her family moved to Pecos, Texas, where her father was transferred with the Santa Fe Railway as an engineer. Known for her charisma, natural beauty, voice and charm, her high school and early post-high school years allowed for some wonderful experiences. In the mid 1950’s, she and her sister traveled to Marfa, Texas, to watch scenes being filmed for the movie “Giant”, where she was told by James Dean how beautiful she was and even gave a kiss. In 1955 and 1956, she was asked to sing with Roy Orbison and the “Teen Kings” on several live TV appearances on a music show airing on KMID-TV in Midland, Texas, and after graduation she also was chosen as a Sun Princess to attend the annual Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
She graduated from Pecos High School in 1958 and then moved to Van Horn, Texas, where she worked as an operator at West Texas Communications Phone Company. This is where she met what turned out to be the love of her life, Alan Hassenflu, who she was married to for 60 years. Alan’s father owned the phone company, and Alan met her during a break from attending college at SMU in Dallas. It had to be love at first sight, because they soon became engaged and married on June 27, 1960. After their West Texas wedding, they honeymooned in Santa Fe and Red River New Mexico, and then settled in Van Horn, Texas, to begin their married life and start a family. She and Alan had 3 sons, Alan Jr. in March of 1961; Scott in July of 1962, and Eric in January 1966. Charlotte was a devoted wife and mom, and was very active in her kid’s lives. She taught Sunday school and Summer Vacation Bible School as well as being a Cub Scout Den Mother. She was also very active in other women’s social groups and she and Alan developed many life- long friendships in Van Horn.
In 1979, the family moved to Alpine, Texas, where Alan owned and operated Big Bend Ford and Charlotte assumed the role of office manager/bookkeeper. All three of her boys attended and graduated from Texas Tech while they resided in Alpine, and she and Alan then moved to Boerne in 1993. She started a successful career in Boerne as a property manager for The Vistas and Country View Apartment complexes until she retired in 2004. She and Alan attended St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church in Boerne, and in retirement, she also volunteered for years at the Boerne Visitors Center. Her personality and charm made her a natural at this, and she loved living in Boerne and the Texas Hill Country.
Charlotte loved looking her best, and was a subscriber to many fashion and beauty magazines. An avid clotheshorse, she also loved shopping. She was a good painter in her earlier years as a wife and mom, and some of her art hangs in their home today. She also loved to travel, and she always made sure the entire family traveled with them on as many vacations as possible, from the US to Canada to Mexico.
In addition to her husband Alan; she is survived by two sons, Alan Hassenflu Jr. and his wife Cherie of Houston, Scott Hassenflu and partner Jonathan Marquardt of Sacramento, California; 3 grandchildren, Stephen and his wife Jaca, Kevin and Heather; one brother, Bob Holmes and his wife Linda of League City, Texas; one sister, Barbara Neal and her husband Sandy of Coleman, Texas; niece, Kelli Caldwell; and nephews, Keith Neal, Mark Holmes and Michael Holmes. She was preceded in death by her beloved youngest son, Eric, and her parents.
A Graveside Service will be held on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. at the Boerne City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to help a cause dear to Charlotte; Charming Pet Rescue, 8430 Flint Rock Drive, Boerne, TX 78006, 210-843-8326 charmingpetrescue.org. To leave condolences for the family and to view a video of Charlotte’s life, please visit www.ebensberger-fisher.com and select obituaries.
Arrangements with Ebensberger-Fisher Funeral Home of Boerne.