Charles Eugene Hicks was born January 15, 1937 in Utica, Mississippi to Eugene and Mary Hicks.  Charles was one of eleven children and the oldest son. He confessed Christ at an early age and was baptized at the Green Hill Church of Christ Holiness.

As a child, Charles was educated in the Hinds County Public School System. After high school, he attended Jackson State University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education. While at Jackson State, he also became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Upon graduating, Charles took his first job as band director at Marian Central High School in Columbia, Mississippi. It was during this time that he met his first wife, and to that union his daughter, Cynthia, was born.

In the late 1960s, Charles moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he worked as Director of Bands at Northwestern High School. While there, he met and married the love of his life, Barbara DeBerry, on June 8, 1969. Being the music lover and the driven person that he was, Charles enrolled in the Master of Arts program at Wayne State University. After graduating from Wayne State, he began working on his doctoral degree in Music Education at Michigan State University in 1973. That same year, he and Barbara welcomed their son, Charles Christopher. In 1976, Charles completed the doctoral program at Michigan State University. Dr. Hicks and his family moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where he accepted the position of Director of Bands and Professor of Music Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Always in pursuit of his passion for music and his desire to provide a great life for his family, Charles accepted a position at Governors State University in University Park, Illinois in 1983 as Professor of Music Education and Director of Bands. After leaving the University in June 2003, Charles received an offer from Winston-Salem State University, where he became Chairperson of the Music and Fine Arts Department. This position led to his and Barbara's decision to relocate to North Carolina. Charles volunteered and served in many educational and musical organizations that include, but are not limited to, the National Education Association, the Music Education National Conference, the National Black Music Caucus, and the Winston-Salem Symphony Board of Directors.

In 2011, Charles officially retired from his life's work for good. In retirement, he enjoyed playing golf as often as possible and spending time with his grandchildren. After a period of illness, he departed his earthly life in the home he shared with Barbara on October 4, 2021.

Charles was preceded in death by his parents, Eugene and Mary Hicks; four sisters, Annie Russell, Mae Bell Fields, Lidelle Stewart, and Rosie McCalley; two brothers, Samuel Earl Hicks and Ernest Hicks; and sister-in-law, Marion Imogene Hill.

Charles leaves to cherish, with lasting memories and an honorable legacy of love and strength, his loving and devoted wife, Barbara A. Hicks; his daughter, Cynthia Louise (Ronald) Nord of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; son, Charles Christopher (Saronja) Hicks of Homewood, Illinois. His pride and joy are his grandchildren, Keith Parker Nord, Ashley Louise Nord, Ronald Jerome Nord, Jr. "RJ", Christopher Isaiah Hicks, and Joshua Hicks. Other loving family members include his brothers, William (Gwendolyn) Hicks and Calvin (Debra) Hicks, both of Ypsilanti, Michigan; two sisters, Willie Marie Barksdale of Inkster, Michigan, and Lynoris (Rev. James) Hendricks of Ypsilanti, Michigan; three sisters-in-law, Beverly (Cliff) Moore of Horsham, Pennsylvania, Brenda Quinn of Southfield, Michigan, and Benita (Wilbur) Cornner of Birmingham, Alabama. He also leaves to cherish his memories a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and countless former colleagues and students with whom he shared an appreciation for and a love of music.

A viewing will be held from 1:00pm until 5:00pm Friday, October 15, 2021 at Russell Funeral Home.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00am Saturday, October 16, 2021 at the Russell Funeral Home Chapel.  Interment will follow in Forsyth Memorial Park. The funeral services will be live streamed on the Russell Funeral Home Facebook page beginning at 11:00am Saturday.