Dr. Charles Henry Chalfant, Jr., who resided near Branch, Arkansas, passed away peacefully, Sunday, October 25, 2015 at his home. He was born May 31, 1934 in Memphis, Tennessee to the late Charles Henry Chalfant, Sr. and Florence (Battle) Chalfant. He was 81 years old.

He was raised in Augusta, Arkansas, where his family owned a lumber mill on the White River. He graduated with honors from Laura Conner High School in Augusta; he played both football and basketball. As an undergraduate, he attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he met and later married Jeanette Deckelman in 1955. In 1959, he graduated from the University Medical Center in Little Rock and served his internship at St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock. He then served two years with the United States Public Health Service (1960-1962) in Anthony, Texas, where he was a physician and received specialized training in his medical field.

Dr. Chalfant began family practice in Rogers, Arkansas and later moved to Booneville, Arkansas. While in Booneville, he served as chief of staff at Booneville City Hospital for three years and was president of the Logan County Medical Society. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church, served as president of the school board, was on the board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce, and was a member of the Booneville Jaycees. In 1978, he moved to Fayetteville to practice medicine at the University of Arkansas Student Health Center, was on the board for the Women's Shelter, and was a member of the Arkansas Medical Society. In 1983, he married Janine Lloyd and continued to practice medicine for another twenty-four years, the last seventeen with Cooper Clinic in Fort Smith where he was instrumental in building the first ProMed Clinic. He retired from Cooper Clinic in 2007 after serving as a physician for 50 years.

As a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, he received the award of Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians in 2000. His love was rural medicine, which he practiced in Booneville, Charleston, and the surrounding communities. He often provided free medical care to those in need and volunteered to coordinate a statewide provision of free medical care in Arkansas.

Outside of caring deeply for his family, friends, and his patients, he was a lover of nature. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, hiking, and family vacations in Colorado and Florida. He built a cabin on secluded land outside of Booneville where he spent many happy times. Charles had many talents, painting, writing, and architectural design. He eventually designed and drew plans for two solar homes, ahead of their time, the first in Fayetteville and the second in Charleston. He loved to read and continued to learn and explore all of his life.

Funeral service will be 2:00 p.m. Saturday, October 31st, at Brotherton Funeral Home Chapel in Charleston. The body will be cremated following the service and burial of cremains will be in Augusta Memorial Park Cemetery, Augusta, Arkansas. Funeral services and cremation is under the direction of Brotherton Brothers Funeral Home and Flower Shop in Charleston.

He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Janine (Lloyd) Chalfant; four daughters, Julie Lacy and husband Ron of Charlottesville, Virginia, Sharla Chalfant and husband Rev. Thompson Murray of Newport, Arkansas, Jill Chalfant and partner Shawna Digby of Fayetteville, and Christina Chalfant of Fayetteville and William May, Jr.; three sons, Charles "Chuck" H. Chalfant, III and Debbie Chalfant, both of Fayetteville, Michael Chalfant of Kansas City, Missouri and Amy Gonzales Chalfant, and Matthew Chalfant of Fayetteville; two brothers, Louis Chalfant and wife Sandy of Russellville and Ted Young and wife Mary of Boulder, Colorado; twelve grandchildren; five great-grandchildren with two more on the way.

Honorary pallbearers will be Bill Toler, Ted Young, Louis Chalfant, Lance Stockwell, Gerald Johnson and Jon Lloyd.

Family will visit with friends 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday night at the funeral home and immediately following the funeral service at the First United Methodist Church Youth Activities Building in Charleston, Arkansas.

Contributions may be made to the Palliative Care Unit at Mercy Medical Center in Fort Smith or to the charity of your choice in Dr. Chalfant's memory.

To pay an online tribute, please visit www.brothertonbrothersfuneralhomes.com.