Charlotte Ransom

The irreplaceable joy of my life, Charlotte B. Ransom, 75, drew her last breath and peacefully passed over into paradise Thursday, 5 January 2023. A funeral service for her will be held at 10:00am on Saturday, 14 January 2023, at Peace Lutheran Church, 9301 Panther Way, Hewitt, Texas, with Reverend Garrett Smith officiating. Burial will follow immediately at Rosemound Cemetery. Visitation and viewing will be held 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Friday, 13 January, at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home, 6101 Bosque Blvd., Waco, Texas.

Charlotte was born in Waco 10 September 1947, the first child of Ray H. Boatman and his wife Lela Mae Boatman. Charlotte's parents were in the laundry and dry-cleaning business and she worked for the family in her teenage years. She attended Waco public schools, graduating from Richfield High School in 1966. Her most significant achievement in high school was meeting me, her future husband. We met the first week of January 1966 at the start of the spring semester exactly 57 years before her death. We were immediately drawn to one another and were rarely apart until her passing. She was a blessing from God. After graduation from high school, we both attended Baylor University. Charlotte majored in political science and I majored in Charlotte. Charlotte graduated from Baylor in 1970. Times were hard in 1970 and jobs difficult to come by, but Charlotte won a position at the Texas Employment Commission (TEC) by showing up at 8:00am at the hiring manager's office day after day until he hired her, saying, "The squeaky wheel gets oiled first." Persistence is a trait Charlotte exhibited all her life; she never gave up on a goal. Charlotte and I eloped and were married 29 August 1970. After she had worked at TEC three years, we purchased Lake Air Cleaners, a dry cleaning business, from Charlotte's parents. She managed the dry cleaners and, in the process, taught herself to do clothing alterations. Her skill with a sewing machine would serve her well for the rest of her life. While managing the dry cleaners Charlotte returned to school and earned a Master of Science in biology from Baylor University in 1983. This led her to the career she would excel at for the rest of her working life: pharmaceutical clinical research, the testing and approval process of medications for human use. Charlotte served short stints in several areas of pharmaceutical clinical research before settling in quality assurance, the department that ensures that clinical studies are conducted according to the standard of ethical and scientific rigor required by the FDA. She served in this capacity in five companies either as director or worldwide director of quality assurance. She oversaw or personally conducted audits at medical clinics, hospitals, medical laboratories, and drug storage facilities. She believed in solving problems, not just finding them. She preferred to work with people in a cooperative manner to train them and correct deficiencies. She could be tough when she had to as when she made two male chemists cry as she pointed out to them the possible consequences to patients because they had not done their jobs properly; or when - at the risk of losing her job - she flatly refused to approve running a clinical study testing a weed killer as a treatment for cancer. Charlotte participated in the approval process for many medications for the treatment of human disease. She was recruited by several pharmaceutical companies over the years but rejected all offers but one because they would have required us to move out of Texas. She wanted to stay in Texas where our families and friends reside. Managers at the FDA were so confident of Charlotte's ability and honest dealing that they would sometimes send new FDA inspectors to her and tell them to learn how to audit a clinical study from her. On one occasion Charlotte had just taken a job with a company that had been sanctioned by the FDA when an FDA inspector showed up at the door for a surprise audit. Charlotte greeted the inspector who then called FDA headquarters to inform them that a new head of quality assurance had arrived at the company. FDA headquarters replied back to the inspector that he should return home and audit the company next year. They said they had confidence Charlotte would have everything straightened out by then. And she did. Most of all she enjoyed working with people. She mentored many persons who have gone on to successful careers in the pharmaceutical business.

After 30 years living in Austin and San Antonio, we decided to return to Waco to retire, a decision we have never regretted. We joined the wonderful congregation at Peace Lutheran Church in Hewitt. Charlotte has always been motivated by the Holy Spirit to do good works, both small and large. She believed that since the Holy Spirit is the motivator for our good deeds, He deserves the credit. Over the years she has helped various friends, family, and acquaintances with financial gifts or housing. In San Antonio, she started a personal ministry of giving blankets to the homeless and needy. Over 1,200 blankets were given away in this ministry. In Waco, she started a ministry of providing socks to the homeless. This ministry has been supported and enlarged by our church home, Peace Lutheran Church. During the COVID-19 crisis in 2020 and 2021, Charlotte sewed nearly 900 three-layer face masks, most of which were donated to the McLennan County Emergency Response Center. I still use her masks myself. Charlotte has also supported both CareNet and the Salvation Army, privately and at church. About four years ago, Charlotte started sewing baby blankets for use at CareNet. As an example of her eternal optimism in the face of difficulties, she went out and purchased cloth for 100 baby blankets after her diagnosis of advanced metastatic cancer at the end of November 2022. Her generosity of spirit was unequaled.

Charlotte had an easy grace with people. She enjoyed and valued everyone. She had a genuine interest in people and their lives, and they sensed it and opened up to her. There were many times when she would return from a business trip and tell me the life story of some stranger she had sat next to on the airplane. I have always maintained that she could sustain an interesting conversation with a brick wall.

Charlotte rode horses prior to our marriage and she had pets, especially dogs and cats, most of her life. She enjoyed reading, country western and folk music, and television veterinary shows. Bible study was a special activity for both of us. She liked to travel, especially the short vacations we took with our two children. We are blessed that we had many opportunities to travel together to so many interesting places. She has always looked forward to family get-togethers. She also enjoyed playing cards, dominoes, and board games with family and friends. We have played games weekly during Zoom calls with my sisters and brother-in-law since COVID-19. She took great pleasure in her work at church, especially with the Lutheran Women's Missionary League.

Charlotte is survived by her daughter, Ashley Ransom, of Waco; her son, Joshua Ransom and his wife, Tamara, of Waco; her sister, Diana Green, of Whitney, Texas; her sister-in-law, Paige Carroll, of San Marcos, Texas; her sister-in-law, Kate Driskell and her husband, Eric, of Austin; several cousins; two nieces; a nephew; many friends; and by me, her husband, Steve Ransom. She animated my life; I shall miss her greatly.