Dr. Charles Edwin Vail, 95, of Bentonville, AR, died late Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019.
Per his request, there will be no memorial service.
Dr. Vail was born Jan. 29, 1924, in Casey, to Charles McKinley and Mary May (Horine) Vail. He married Vera "Jean" Vail on July 15, 1945, and she preceded him in death on Oct. 16, 2016.
He served his country as a flight gunnery trainer in the U.S. Army during Word War II, during which he developed a serious fear of heights and actually flew in a plane only three times during his lifetime.
Although he wasn't tall (5'8), Dr. Vail excelled in basketball and played college ball for Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. His wife of 71 years was a member of the EIU cheerleading team, which is how they met.
After his marriage, he and his new wife moved to Ames, IA, where he earned his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine degree at Iowa State University.
He was affectionately known as Doc Vail in the Hillsboro area, where he practiced as a large and small animal veterinarian, and his wife served as his assistant from 1954 to 1988. They ran the business out of their home at the western end of Hillside Avenue. They would eventually move to northwest Arkansas in 1991.
Dr. Vail and his younger son visited Hillsboro in August 2017 and met with friends and many of his clients from the past.
He is survived by his sons, Charles L. (Betsy) Vail and Mark (Christy) Vail; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
In addition to his wife, Dr. Vail was preceded in death by his parents; and older sisters, Beth Vail and Ginger Bell.
