10/21/2025
Charles Wayne McAnally, 85 passed on to his heavenly home October 16, 2025, He was born on February 28, 1940, in Santa Anna, Texas to William Carl and Eva Charline McAnally. His family moved to Balmorhea, Texas in 1946, he attended school in Balmorhea then went to Cisco Junior College in Cisco, Texas.
He began breaking horses as a young boy and in his early life worked as a cowboy for ranches all across west Texas and even up into the Dakotas. He traveled across the USA competing in Pro rodeo in saddle bronc, and while in the course of his travels he came across a cute little blue eyed blonde in Grand Junction, Colorado. He married Sondra Lee Beane in Georgetown, Colorado on September 27, 1964. They moved back to Texas working on ranches in Balmorhea and Alpine.Their towheaded baby girl was born in 1965.
In 1972 Charles purchased Henderson Pump and Supply in Alpine which started a new phase of his life, he repaired and installed water pumps and windmills. Having reached his goals in business and family and having had many diverse adventures Charles had a hollow feeling that there was something vitally missing, saying to himself that “if this is all that life has to offer it was a bit empty”.
While working on a ranch on the Rio Grande in the Big Bend area with the lion hunter Roy McBride, his eyes were opened. Roy gave him a Living Bible and told him to start reading in Mathew, so Charles read Mathew, Mark, Luke and the first of John and came to the knowledge of his lack of the Grace of an everloving Savior and as they traveled up from the river country and came to Marathon, Texas, Charles and meet Pastor Walt Gallway and in the gravel street knelt and gave his whole being to Christ.
From that time on Charles’ life changed and his desire was to spread God’s grace to as many others as possible and instead of going to another country as a missionary. Charles and Sondra opened their home to young people (Sul Ross students, many being international students) for a home away from home and a place to study and debate the Bible. Through this God’s grace was shared to many across the world but Charles also had a heart for those in the far west Texas area praying for and sharing the love of Christ with everyone he came in contact with.
Charles also had a desire to bring together the technology of solar energy and water pumping and make it useful and economical to the ranching and rural communities in the southwest. He started in 1985 designing a system working with an NASA engineer that shared his expertise of solar panels and Charles' machinist skills and Jeff Fisher fabrication abilities was birthed the Solamotor Company that installed the solar water pumping systems from Northern Mexico to Wyoming also working with British Petroleum (in the Four Corners area) pumping fluid off of methane gas wells thousands of feet deep. These were successful projects, Charles held many United States patents and a few international patents.
Charles enjoyed Flying, he took his flight instruction under John ‘Cos’ Casparis who trained WW2 fighter pilots. Steve Neu and Charles looked forward to taking friends flying on Sundays after Sunday Brunch. Charles used his plane to check on and make repairs on water wells in the vast far west Texas region.
Charles was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Linda Sue and brother-in-law Don Diebitsch, and his brother W.C. McAnally and sister-in-law, Frazee McAnally
He is survived by his wife Sondra Lee McAnally, daughter Toi Ann Fisher and son-in-law Jeffery Wilson Fisher, his brother Gary McAnally and wife Linda of Alpine, Texas and William McAnally, Jacqueline and Mike French of Alpine, Texas and Jake and April McAnally of San Angelo, Texas, Lori Diebitsch and Tom Imgram of Fort Stockton, Texas, and Stacie and Terry Phifer of Liberty Hill, Texas. Deidra McAnally and Kevin McCuistion of Willow Park, Texas and Mike and Janee McAnally of Midland,Texas and numerous nieces and nephews.
The service for Charles will be November 1, 2025 at 1pm at his home church that he has pastored for over 20 years, The Davis Mountains Baptist Church in the Davis Mountains Resort, 208 Tomahawk TRL, Fort Davis, Texas.
Remembrances and condolences may be shared with the family at Mobile Mortician of Texas’ web site: www.mmoftexas.com
