Charles Edward Branch, former Philadelphia housing authority employee, dies at 88

Charles Edward Branch, a retired Philadelphia Housing Authority employee, died on Friday, July 1, 2022. He was 88.

He was born on Feb. 7, 1934, to the late Emanuel Branch Sr. and Miley Anderson Branch Dean. He was the seventh of their nine children.

As a boy, he kept his block clean. He would sweep sidewalks, shovel snow, help neighbors take out trash, remove graffiti and, in later years, keep up the “Flag Garden” at the corner of 59th and Vine streets. An article in The Westside Weekly told of his good deeds and dubbed him “Good Neighbor Charlie.” He continued throughout his life until his health turned for the worse in 2014.

In 1944, Branch accepted Jesus Christ as his personal savior. He often said life should be lived by “Christian principles.”

He attended Overbrook High School, where he became good friends with the late NBA great Wilt Chamberlain. Struggling through school, boxing became a good outlet, and he intended to become a professional boxer. When asked why he didn’t, his explanation was that he was going to work and got drafted into the U.S. Army.

In the Army, he was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, from October 1956 to October 1958 and received an honorable discharge.

Branch was having difficulty finding work until A. Leon Higginbotham — a friend of his brother, the late Rev. Emmanuel S. “Pete” Branch Jr. — advised him to go to the Philadelphia Housing Authority. He worked for the housing authority from 1964 until his retirement in 1990.

After retirement, he delivered newspapers for The Westside Weekly and The Scoop. Delivering papers to City Hall, he met many politicians, including former Philadelphia mayors John Street and Michael Nutter, who visited him at his home, as well as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson Sr. He also marched in 10 consecutive Puerto Rican parades.

He was most excited by meeting two other people. While working as a caddy at a golf course in his late teens, he briefly met Joe Louis, and later said he would never forget that day. Many years later, at a black-tie affair, he met Muhammad Ali, who offered a brief chit-chat, shook his hand, and took a picture with him.

Branch served on the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church usher board for 50 years, was a shop steward while employed for the City of Philadelphia, was a member of Laborers Local 332 for 53 years, and was a trustee and chaplain for the union.

“He, along with his mother, father, five sisters and three brothers, are together again and will be greatly missed forever,” his family said in a tribute. “The Branch family reunion is now located in heaven. Old times have passed away. Charles will be greatly missed.”

He was preceded in death by his five sisters and three brothers.

He is survived by other family members and friends.

Services were held on Thursday, July 14, at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church.