Charles Alembert Brayton

Charles A. Brayton, age 79, passed away unexpectedly in his sleep on March 20, 2025. Charles was born on August 22, 1945 in Greencastle, Indiana, to the late Alembert W. Brayton III and Charlotte Donnohue Brayton.

Charles attended Fall Creek Elementary and IPS #55. Graduating from Broad Ripple H.S. in 1963, Charles received his Purdue BS in Industrial Management in1968 and his MBA in Business Administration at the University of Arizona in 1969. He worked with estimating and bidding at J. I. Case Company in Arizona until 1975 when he returned to Indianapolis and again worked doing estimating and bidding as well as driving rollers for the Asphalt Surfacing Company, founded by his grandfather, Alembert Winthrop Brayton, Jr., who put in Holcomb Gardens at Butler University and landscaped many other universities and parks. Charles worked there in the summer starting with landscaping at age 12 on through high school. In college he did paving. Returning to Indianapolis in 1975, he continued with the Asphalt Surfacing Company through 1988, when the company was sold. Charles worked for F. E. Harding Paving from May-August 1989 and then Grady Brothers Paving from May,1990-August, 2005, where he continued to do estimating bids as well as driving a roller.

Charles enjoyed the John Purdue Club, seeing Purdue football and basketball, watching the Indiana Pacers, watching the Chicago Cubs, and being with friends and family. He enjoyed watching automobile racing and watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy with his sister Elizabeth, who was blessed to care for him since 2018. An avid reader, Charles had a brilliant mind for history. Charles was a loving son, brother, father, and grandfather. Charles was kind, giving, and had a great sense of humor. A true fan of the Indy 500, he enjoyed meeting his favorite automobile racer, A.J. Foyt, in 2024.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents, beloved wife Carolyn Brayton Rosenfelder, and his cherished wife of nearly 30 years, Dee (Delores) Jones Brayton. Charles is survived by his brother William (Debbie) Brayton and grandsons Dustin, Ryan, and Gregory; sister Charlotte Elizabeth Brayton; son Stephen (Carolyn) Brayton Rosenfelder and grandchildren Paige and Camden Rosenfelder; stepson Kenton (Sandy) Jones, step-grandson Daulton (Shawn) Jones, and two step great-grandchildren, Bruce and Violet; and cousins Bob (Fran) Brayton, Barbara (Bedford) Hines, Sharon Srader Allman, Betsy Srader Macke, Cindy Billheimer Moore, John (Penny) Billheimer.

A private Celebration of Life will take place June 21 for friends and family.