Florence Charline Burnett

Florence Charline Burnett, 81, of Liberty, Texas, passed away on Friday, August 27, 2021. She was born on November 30, 1939 in Beaumont, Texas to parents Max and Florence Babineaux. She was a graduate of Nederland High School and was a runner up in the Miss Gulf Coast beauty competition. She met her husband, Riley Louis Burnett at a teenage dance held at the local Catholic Church. During the dance, when his date would go to the bathroom Riley would ask Charline to dance. Charline was a Nederland Bulldog. Riley was a Port Neches Indian. The two schools were heated rivals. After graduation, Riley asked her out on their first date during a Nederland football game. At first she hesitated because she thought he was asking her to go on a date with a friend that was with him. When she realized he was asking for himself she immediately said yes and the rest is history.
Charline and Riley led a beautiful married life with their three children—Amanda, Riley Louis, Jr., and Mervyn in various cities across Texas, as Riley, Sr. worked as a high school football and baseball coach, special education teacher, counselor and principal. Charline supported Riley’s work and was a full time mom. She also worked for the Texas Highway Tourism Department and owned and operated a successful Resale Shop for many years.
Charline was a beautiful, smart, and intuitively clever person with a wicked sense of humor. She enjoyed spending time with her friends, family, and her very much-loved dogs YoYo and Nugget. Charline had a great love for life. Whether she was at the casino, on the golf course, listening to music at a blues bar, at a sporting event, or just having a glass of wine in a living room—she was always the life of the party.
Charline was a wonderful mother, and she was an incredible best friend to Riley, Sr. for the 61 years of their marriage. “Nana” or “Grandma” to her grandchildren, she always attended every celebration from graduations to weddings and was always willing to play games and show her silly side. Charline taught her children and grandchildren to be strong when life was difficult and to always cherish time with family.
Her beloved husband had these words to share: “My beautiful, funny, loving wife, Charline, passed Friday August 27th around 11:00 pm. She died from heart failure and dementia. There will always be a hole in my heart. She was a great wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was my score keeper when I coached baseball and my assistant football coach at home telling me what I did wrong. You did not have to guess how she felt about any subject because she would tell you in no uncertain terms. If you read what our children and grandchildren said about her, you will understand what a great woman she was. Goodbye Charline you made my life worth living.”
Charline was preceded in death by both of her parents, along with her siblings Delores Stafford, Ralph Babineaux, Diane Johnson, and Norman Babineaux. Charline is survived by her devoted husband Riley Burnett, Sr.; daughter Amanda Enloe and husband Wesley; son Riley Burnett, Jr. and wife Prescilla; son Mervyn Burnett and wife Paige; grandchildren Brandy Ward, Heather Whitehead and husband B.J., Taylor Burnett, Benjamin Burnett, Lizzie Burnett, Dylan Burnett, and Nash Burnett; great-grandchildren Hayden Hawthorne, Mia Whitehead, and Landon Ward; sister Eve Wagner and husband Ron; brother Boyd Babineaux and wife Theresa, along with numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
The family intends to host a Celebration of Life for Charline on October 24, 2021 at 2:00 pm at KC Hall, 700 Central Drive, Port Neches, Texas 77651. For more information, please contact Amanda Enloe at 936-776-8518