Charles Robert Crittenden

Charles “Charly” Robert Crittenden, 79, of North Little Rock, Arkansas, passed away peacefully at his home on October 2, 2026. He was a beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend who will be greatly missed.

Charly was born on June 19, 1947, in Shreveport, Louisiana, to Jack T. and Margaret W. Crittenden. From a young age, he had a talent for sports and music, which his loving parents strongly encouraged. Be it via playing the accordion, bowling, coaching & playing many sports, discussing his faith in the Lord, or just being there for someone in need, Charly diligently dedicated his life to helping others find their joy, passion, and peace within themselves.

Charly graduated from Fayetteville High School where he was active in tennis. He began music lessons at the age of 7 and traveled between states for training and competitions. He even auditioned for The Lawrence Welk Show. He served with the Army National Guard. Later, he graduated from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville with a degree in Finance and Marketing. As time went on, he earned his Master’s degree in Public Administration through the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

His curiosity was tremendous and he was a voracious reader who enjoyed learning about everything. Charly loved music and passed that joy down to his children. From a young age, we remember singing silly songs on the way to preschool (The Three Stooges Swinging the Alphabet was a long one) or listening to tapes on many family road trips. In high school, it became more of a trivia and knowledge-based pastime, as we would listen to the first part of a song and then guess who the artist was. Dad, of course, knew all of them. The Beatles, Pink Floyd, ZZ Top, Weird Al Yankovic, The Doctor Demento radio show and more, were favorites at that time.

Charly was a part of the Arkansas Accordion Association and would play for events all over the state. (Oktoberfest and Christmas were probably his favorite times to entertain). Throughout his life, he bowled in various leagues and won numerous trophies. He managed operations for the leagues and volunteered to teach young children the fun of bowling, as well. He also taught his children and grandchildren this fun sport. Everyone loved bowling with Grandpa Charly when they were in town.

He was a devout Christian and was always ready to give thanks for the many opportunities which were given to him. Through his church, Charly volunteered at the Men’s Recovery Center and was always just a phone call away from someone in need of assistance. He might have operated on “Charly-time” but that was something that everyone came to know and begrudgingly learned to manage. Because Charly never met a person he wasn’t interested in helping and he would give 100% of his attention to whomever was in front of him.

Charly is survived by his daughter, Sara Dickson (Jason) of North Little Rock; his son, Matthew Crittenden (Lauren) of San Mateo, California; his beloved grandchildren Hunter Dickson, Bryce DeBoard (Peyton), Jack Crittenden, and Bruce Crittenden; his great-grandson Wesley DeBoard; his sister, Patty Sheen of North Little Rock; his sister-in-law, Celeste Anthony; his nephew, Jeff Crittenden of North Little Rock, his niece, Lisa Crittenden of North Little Rock; and many other extended family members. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jack T. and Margaret W. Crittenden and his older brother, Jerry J. Crittenden (Celeste).

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Charly’s memory to the American Diabetes Association or your favorite charity.

Pursuant to his request, there will not be a public service; however, the family thanks you for your support and asks that you share this memorial with anyone who knew Charly. Now, get out your lederhosen, listen to some accordion music (the Beer Barrell Polka or any Weird Al will do) and celebrate life the way that Charly would: with a big shake of the bellows.