Charles "Charlie" Appleton

APPLETON, Charles (Charlie) Richard - (84), of Gallatin, son of the late Roy and Elizabeth Appleton of Nashville, passed away on February 25, 2023. He is survived by his wife, Eben Vitelli Appleton; son Jeff (Robin) Vitelli of Woodstock, GA; daughters Loree Vitelli of Waco, TX, Susan (Ric) Zampatti of Acworth, GA, and Rachel (Tommy) McAuley of Hendersonville; granddaughters Jillian (Wes) Frantz, Anna Vitelli, and Avery McCoy Zampatti; grandsons Lucas McCoy, Grant McAuley and Griffin (Lexi) McAuley; great-grandchildren Titus Frantz, Charlie Gray and one on the way. He is preceded in death by his granddaughter Mary Elizabeth McAuley.

Charlie attended Peabody Demonstration School and the University of Tennessee. He was a reporter for The Gatlinburg Press, The Knoxville Journal, The St. Petersburg Times, The Tennessean and The Nashville Banner for 23 years. His stories were famous for containing bizarre, son-marries-mother and twists that brought an “Oh my gosh” gasp. Charlie was also deputy press secretary to Gov. Winfield Dunn and public information officer for the Tennessee Department of Transportation. He was known for driving “clunkers”. An old Fiat had a leak around the windshield. Rain would collect under the dash on the passenger side and Charlie would laugh uproariously whenever he turned left and a deluge of cold rainwater would gush out, filling the shoes of his unsuspecting passengers. And, oh my gosh, don’t leave him alone at a cologne counter. He’d come home smelling of every sample fragrance. He was a member of St. Michael’s Anglican Church in Gallatin and the Gallatin Lions Club.

The family will receive friends Thursday March 2nd from 5 to 8pm, and Friday March 3rd from 10am to 12pm at Hendersonville Memory Gardens & Funeral Home, 353 E. Main St, Hendersonville, TN. Service will be March 3rd at 1pm at St. Michael’s Anglican Church, 105 Shiloh Rd, Gallatin, TN. Graveside service will be at Hendersonville Memory Gardens & Funeral Home in the Garden of Prayer following the Church service. Father Kasch presiding.

Active pallbearers: Nashville Banner desk-mate Leon Alligood, Tim Ghianni, Maryland Group’s Don Beehler, Wes Frantz, Lucas McCoy, Grant McAuley and Griffin McAuley. Honorary pallbearers: Dr. Sam Dillard, Ben Rowan (both friends for over 75 years), Jeff Vitelli, Tommy McAuley, Jill Frantz, Anna Vitelli, Avery McCoy Zampatti, Mary McAuley (in spirit), Peabody Demonstration School (Class of ‘56), Nashville Banner staff and members of the Gallatin Lions Club.