Charles David McVay

Charles David McVay, aged 89, passed away July 23, 2026, at the Dr Jay Weil Center for Hospice Care in New Port Richey, FL. Charles was born in Blakely, Georgia on May 6, 1937. He grew up in and around Colquitt, GA where is family were share croppers. At the age of 16 he moved to Bartow, FL where is Aunt and Uncle lived, and attended and graduated from Summerlin Institute (now Bartow High School) in 1955. The following year he eloped to Blakely, Georgia and married his sweetheart Mylene O. Sutton also of Bartow, FL.

He apprenticed with his first cousin Eugene Gordon of Gene’s Upholstery (Bartow, FL) then moved to Lakeland, FL and opened his own upholstery shop. Charles was well known in the Polk County community for his upholstery skills, even upholstering dozens of antique cars and tour buses for country music stars George Jones and Tammy Wynette and others. He and his wife Mylene also made and hung custom made drapes for several of the country music star’s homes in Lakeland, FL and in and around Nashville, TN. He was known as a talented, dependable, honest business man and friend.

He lived a wonderful life, traveled to quite a few states in the USA, where his favorite destination was the Smoky Mountains. His daughter, Jeanine McVay Stephens, and Son-in-Law Jerry L. Stephens, took him back to the Smoky Mountains in the spring of 2022, a few months after his wife’s death. They had planned to travel more places and bought property in the mountains of North Georgia, planning to have Charles with them part of the year. His health failed and he was unable to travel so they have spent a lot of time in Land O’Lakes to spend time with Charles.

Charles was a Christian and served as Deacon and Sunday School Superintendent at his church. He was confident that in death he would enter the gates of heaven in the presence of his Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Charles was a devoted husband and loving father. He and Mylene were married 66.5 years, until her death in 2022 at the age of 82.

Upon Mylene’s death, Charles moved into his son and daughter- in-laws home in Land O’Lakes, FL where he lived the last 3.5 years of his life. He and his son often traveled back and forth to Lakeland on Saturday mornings to have breakfast with his three brothers.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents John Carlton McVay and Audrey Gordon McVay of Lakeland, FL and sister Delores McVay Denmark of Dundee, FL. He is survived by daughter Jeanine McVay Stephens (Jerry) of Tallahassee and their adult children Justin of Tallahassee and Jessica of Graceville, son Shaun David McVay (Denise) of Land O’Lakes and their adult children Brandi and Demi, brothers Dennis “Buddy” McVay (Melanie) of Climax, GA and brother Bruce Gordon McVay (Roxanne) of Bartow, and John Carlton II (Anna) of Lakeland.