--- title: SR 9. Stevens, Charles "Charlie" Kay; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr9 cite_as: SR 9, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr9 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr9.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr9/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69322 date: 2025-01-14 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr8.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr10.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr9.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 9 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-01-14 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Jason Anavitarte - John Albers - Carden Summers - Mike Hodges - Chuck Hufstetler - Chuck Payne - Billy Hickman - Matt Brass - Ricky Williams - Clint Dixon - Shawn Still - Brian Strickland - Max Burns - Sam Watson - Drew Echols - Brandon Beach - John Kennedy text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR9/2025 upstream_id: 1916644 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Senate resolution - condolences - Acworth - Georgia veterans --- # SR 9. Stevens, Charles "Charlie" Kay; condolences ## Text 25 LC 112 2655 Senate Resolution 9 By: Senators Anavitarte of the 31st, Albers of the 56th, Summers of the 13th, Hodges of the 3rd, Hufstetler of the 52nd and others A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of Charles "Charlie" Kay Stevens; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished citizens with the passing of Charles "Charlie" Kay Stevens on August 16, 2024; and WHEREAS, Charles "Charlie" Kay Stevens was born on August 26, 1937, in Little River, North Miami, Florida, a beloved son of Byron Post Stevens and Blanche Henrietta Sparkman; and WHEREAS, he served with honor as part of the United States Army from 1956 to 1958, during which time he was stationed in Japan as an aerial photographer; and WHEREAS, in 1962, Charlie relocated to Georgia and established Lea's Drive Inn in Acworth, an entrepreneurial pursuit he expanded upon throughout his life by owning and operating several additional restaurants, including The Corner Cafe in Dallas; and 25 LC 112 2655 WHEREAS, at the age of 55, he graduated from Chattahoochee Technical Institute with a diploma in computer technology, and at the age of 68, he fulfilled his dream of traveling across the United States and Canada by driving a semi-truck for Schneider Trucking; and WHEREAS, Charlie was an avid fisherman who spent many cherished moments on the water with loved ones, especially in Steinhatchee, Florida, where he enjoyed the salty air; and WHEREAS, he was united in love and marriage to his wife, Glenda Nell Stevens, and was blessed with five remarkable children, Charles, Diane, Tammy, Wayne, and Brad, as well as numerous wonderful grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and WHEREAS, he gave inspiration to many through his high ideals, morals, and deep concern for his fellow citizens, and the devotion, patience, and understanding he demonstrated to his family and friends were admired by others; and WHEREAS, he was a person of magnanimous strengths with an unimpeachable reputation for integrity, intelligence, fairness, and kindness, and by the example he made of his life, he made this world a better place in which to live; and WHEREAS, a compassionate and generous man, Charles "Charlie" Kay Stevens will long be remembered for his love of family, friendship, and community and will be missed by all who had the great fortune of knowing him. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of Charles "Charlie" Kay Stevens and express their deepest and most sincere regret at his passing. 25 LC 112 2655 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the family of Charles "Charlie" Kay Stevens. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia Senate resolution honors the life of Charles "Charlie" Kay Stevens, an Acworth restaurant owner and Army veteran who died in August 2024, and directs that a copy be sent to his family. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a formal tribute from the Georgia Senate marking the death of Charles "Charlie" Kay Stevens on August 16, 2024. It recounts his life story: his birth in Florida in 1937, his service in the United States Army from 1956 to 1958 as an aerial photographer stationed in Japan, his move to Georgia in 1962 to open Lea's Drive Inn in Acworth, and his later ventures including The Corner Cafe in Dallas, Georgia. It also notes he earned a computer technology diploma at 55 and later drove a semi-truck across the country at 68. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It simply states the Senate's condolences and directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for delivery to Stevens's family, including his wife and five children. ### What it does - Formally expresses the Georgia Senate's condolences on the death of Charles "Charlie" Kay Stevens. - Recites biographical details of Stevens's life, military service, business career, and family. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Stevens's family. - Creates no new law, funding, or penalty; it is a ceremonial tribute only. ### Who it affects This resolution directly names and honors the family of Charles "Charlie" Kay Stevens, including his wife Glenda Nell Stevens and his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. It has no broader effect on other Georgians or on state law. ### Why it matters The resolution has no practical legal effect on Georgians generally; its significance is symbolic, offering the Senate's formal recognition of an individual's life and providing his family with an official memorial document from the state legislature. ### Key provisions - The preamble (whereas clauses) details Stevens's birth, Army service, restaurant businesses in Acworth and Dallas, education, travels, and family. - The first resolving clause states the Senate honors his life and memory and expresses regret at his passing. - The second resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available for distribution to his family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-01-14) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2025-01-14) - Sponsors: Jason Anavitarte, John Albers, Carden Summers, Mike Hodges, Chuck Hufstetler, Chuck Payne, Billy Hickman, Matt Brass, Ricky Williams, Clint Dixon, Shawn Still, Brian Strickland, Max Burns, Sam Watson, Drew Echols, Brandon Beach, John Kennedy - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69322 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr9.md?full=1