May 12, 1953 ~ June 21, 2025
Charlotte Gail Hinds passed away on June 21, 2025 at the age of 72 in Bowie, MD. She was born May 12, 1953 in Amherst, Texas to Charles and Ruth Hinds. Charlotte was a beloved daughter, sister, aunt, Grandma ChaCha, and friend to many.
Charlotte grew up on a cotton farm outside Amherst with her sister, Pat. The two sisters roamed the countryside and rode bikes down steep hills pretending to fly like birds. During the summer Charles made the girls get up early instead of sleeping till noon and put them in the field hoeing cotton. That didn't go over well, but they did it together and played more than they hoed! In their junior high and high school years, they began playing for church together, with Charlotte on piano and Pat on organ. One song that Ruth loved was How Great Thou Art, and Charlotte's music had beautiful runs that echoed through the church.
After graduating with honors from Littlefield High School in 1971, Charlotte attended college at Texas Tech where she obtained a degree in sociology. She held jobs as a counselor for teens, parole officer, correctional officer, and cocktail pianist, before deciding to go back to Tech for law school. After graduation she moved to Austin. She met her former husband, Melvin, married and had their daughter, Miranda. Charlotte and Melvin continued to be good friends through the years.
Charlotte had a successful family law practice in Bastrop for two decades. In 2007, she was appointed to be the first District Judge of the 423rd District Court. The final years of her career were spent presiding over the City of Bastrop Municipal Court until her retirement in 2018. She was an active and cherished member of the Calvary Episcopal Church and played organ most Sundays. She was active with the Boys and Girls Club, Teen Court, and the High School Band Boosters. She was open-hearted, warm, generous, and a wonderful friend.
In 2019, Charlotte took the brave step of moving to Seattle, and later Maryland, to be close to Miranda. She got to celebrate Miranda's marriage to David and welcomed her first grandchild, Ezra, in 2020. Her second grandchild, Nora, was born in 2024. Though dementia was unforgiving as it gradually took her memory and ability to communicate, her trademark sense of humor and spark remained until the end.
Charlotte is reunited in Heaven with her parents, Charles and Ruth Hinds; sister, Cheryl Ann Hinds; and grandson, Ezra Magdangal.
Those left to cherish her memory are daughter, Miranda Magdangal and husband, David, and granddaughter Nora; sister, Pat DeVoe; and nieces, Krista Clayton and Nicole DeVoe-Rogers.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to ASPCA. A memorial service will be held August 9, 2025 at 11:00 a.m., at Calvary Episcopal Church in Bastrop.