Charles E. "Chuck" Middleton

BRYANT, Ark. – Charles Edward “Chuck” Middleton, 83, co-founder of Middleton Heat & Air, passed away on Monday, April 21, 2025. Chuck was delighted to spend the previous day, Easter Sunday, with family.

Born September 11, 1941, in Little Rock, Arkansas, Chuck was the second of seven children born to A.D. Middleton, Sr., and Dorothy Larimore Middleton. He deeply admired his older brother Ariel Darr “Dusty” Middleton, Jr., who served as both his mentor and constant source of encouragement throughout his life and career.

Chuck attended Little Rock’s Central High School until it and other area schools were closed during the desegregation crisis. He subsequently earned his GED and attended night school held by a sheet metal workers union group while also working full-time at a sheet metal shop to complete his education. He later returned to teach at the trade school while continuing to work in his chosen craft.

In 1976, Chuck, alongside Anita Middleton-Kellar, co-founded Middleton Heat & Air under the carport of their family home in Bryant, Arkansas. From the outset, it was a true family endeavor. Alongside their children – Larry, Mark, and Sandy – they managed everything from sales and service calls to installations and hand-fabricated sheet-metal parts and ductwork. During this time, family remained Chuck’s top priority.

Today, Middleton Heat & Air stands as Arkansas’s largest residential and commercial HVAC services provider, with a reputation built on decades of reliable service and technical excellence. The Middleton name is recognized across the region as a standard of professionalism, integrity, and customer care.

Chuck’s devotion to Middleton Heat & Air ran deep – it was not just a business but a defining part of who he was. Even in his later years, he found joy by being in the office, surrounded by colleagues he admired and helped to mentor. He took immense pride in the company’s continued success, including the honor of being named “Best of the Best” HVAC company by its customers for more than 25 years – a testament to the values he instilled from the very beginning. For nearly 50 years, Chuck cared for the customers he served, treating their homes and businesses with the utmost respect. His positivity and can-do attitude was encapsulated in the phrase he was best known for: “I’ll take care of that.” Over time, that simple commitment became more than just a motto – it became the “Middleton Way,” a standard embraced by employees and woven into the company’s culture of service.

Chuck’s selfless spirit and unwavering commitment to others continues to resonate throughout the community he cared for so deeply. All his life, Chuck remained a man of steadfast faith, actively involved in several area Baptist churches, including many years at Geyer Springs First Baptist Church. His dedication to service was intentional as he quietly gave back through acts of generosity and contributed publicly as a co-founder of the Bryant Fire Department, where he also served as a volunteer firefighter for several years. He continually supported the community, from sponsoring various youth sports teams in Saline County to helping navigate the development of Bryant, he worked tirelessly to make his hometown a better place for all.

Though most will remember Chuck as a businessman, it is his family that remained at his core throughout his life. Whether he was coaching his kids’ baseball teams or driving the boat around a lake in Hot Springs, it was clear the most important thing in Chuck’s life was “Family Time.” Those who knew him best also recognize he enjoyed going to the occasional car show, cruising around in his classic 1960 Corvette, and masterfully playing a tune on his harmonica for anyone who would listen.

Chuck is survived by former-wife Anita Middleton-Kellar, their son Larry Middleton, daughter Sandy Middleton- (John) Marshall, and daughter-in-law Rhea Black Middleton, widow of Mark Middleton; five grandchildren: Blake Middleton, Seth Middleton, Anna Grace Middleton, Lindsay Middleton, and Lauren Middleton; and by his brother A.D. “Dusty” (Betty) Middleton. He is also remembered by the hundreds of current and former Middleton co-workers he considered to be family and counted among his dearest friends.

Thank you, Chuck, for everything. We’ll take care of it from here.

A Celebration of Life for Chuck Middleton will be held at the Benton Event Center on Sunday, May 4, 2025, beginning at 3:00 p.m., and will be followed by visitation from 4:00-6:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Chuck Middleton Memorial Fund, Saline County Career Technical Campus, c/o ASU System Foundation, P.O. Box 1990, State University Arkansas 72467.