WAYCROSS

magazine

I came to Waycross in 1965. It was here that I began my

professional career as a music instructor in the Waycross City
School system until I retired from the Ware County
School system around 1992. During this period I taught in the
elementary schools. Later I was assigned to teach general
music and chorus at Center Jr. High. It was at Center Junior
that I organized the first chorus. 

I am a native of Rome, Georgia. It was there that I had my

formal education, and most importantly, I learned strong moral
and spiritual values from my mother, Naomi Character and my
Aunt and Uncle Ada and James Character. I was one of those
“it takes a village” child.

At the age of 9, I joined Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in East

Rome. I played the piano each week for Sunday school. While
there, I organized and played for the first Junior Choir. Two
other areas of interest to me were sports and civil rights. I
played baseball as a pitcher for the Lindale Dragons in the
North West Ga. League. I was a member of the NAACP at the
time that it was seeking better treatment and respect for black
people in the Floyd County Hospital.

Although I was raised in a segregated, racist society, I never

heard my mother, aunt or uncle utter words of bigotry, racial
hatred, or any other kinds of derogatory words against anyone.
My wife, Dorothy and I have applied this same principle in rais-
ing our four sons, Jason, James, Jordan and Justin. We are
also proud of our five grandchildren Aria, Jada, Maya, Laila
and Noah.

After graduating from Main High School in Rome, I attended

Ohio State University where I earned a B.S. Degree In Music
Education and several years later, earned an M.M. degree in
music Education from The University of Georgia. Other
schools included the U.S. Naval School of Music, Emory Uni-
versity, Shorter College, and Valdosta State University.

Time spent at Ohio State, and the University of Georgia was

in the military. I was drafted into the U.S. Army and assigned
duty in the Fourth Armored Division in Goeppingen, Germany.
While there for almost three years, I played baritone horn in
the division band. I also had the honor and distinction of being
assigned to be the conductor of The Fourth Armored Division
Chorus.

I feel that anyone who begins or has retired from a chosen

area of work has two reasons for doing so. The first one is to
be able to make at least a comfortable living, and the other is
to be able to serve and help others who can benefit from one’s
chosen line of work or profession.

My Life Experiences

by Willie R. Character

Willie is shown in various pictures including with his wife

Dorothy and with Linda Henderson and Mayor Charles

Lee at a festival in Hoboken. We are glad to call Willie our

friend.