Charles W. Drafts

Charles William Drafts was born on November 10, 1929 in the Leesville, South Carolina area and departed this life on January 15th, 2022 in Columbia, South Carolina.  He was the last surviving child of the late Willie Drafts and Essie Summers Drafts.  The family originated from the slave docks of Virginia and were later sold back to South Carolina.  After slavery was abolished in the United States, the family settled in Leesville adjacent to the Hendrix plantation.  As a youngster, Charles attended St. Matthew CME Church in Leesville, his father’s church Mt. Olive CME in Lexington, South Carolina and his mother’s church Springhill AME also in Lexington, South Carolina. Later in life, Charles attended The Church of God in Gilbert, South Carolina, now New Day Church.

Charles attended schools in the area until his curiosity and destiny led him to Baltimore, Maryland in search of greater accomplishments. His next stop was Greensboro, North Carolina where he worked and lived nearby his sister and her family.  He later migrated to Richmond, Virginia where he met and married Dorothy Talley in 1961, a union which lasted until her death on May 27th, 2021.

In Richmond, he became an astute businessman and highly successful entrepreneur.  He managed and owned a series of real estate properties, including apartments buildings, restaurants (Captain Drafts Seafood) and parking facilities.  After a distinguished career, Charles retired in 1991 to return home to South Carolina to settle not far from his original birthplace.

Left to cherish his memories are:  his two children - Nelson Drafts and Beverly Drafts, both of Connecticut; numerous nieces and nephews, countless cousins and an abundance of devoted friends and acquaintances.

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