Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Former Legislator, Attorney Chuck Honey Dies

Prominent Prescott attorney Chuck Honey died Thursday in a Little Rock hospital.

Honey came from humble beginnings and early on showed the determination which would get him into and through law school. He worked hard all his life, including being janitor at Prescott High School to help earn money for his books during his senior year.

Those who knew him say his parents were poor, as his father worked for Bemis Lumber Co., while his mother suffered from diabetes, a disease which eventually left her blind.

This disease was the reason Honey was in the hospital when he died. According to reports, he had checked into Baptist Hospital to have a vein grafted in a leg, but doctors found the leg would have to be amputated instead. Before this could be done, though, Honey suffered a heart attack and died.

Adell Campbell, his sister-in-law, said Honey was always dedicated to his family.

"He worked hard all his life," she said, "growing up poor. But he was determined to learn and do well. If he had his mind set to do something, he wouldn't give up."

Honey, she said, hitchhiked from Prescott to Fayetteville after graduating from PHS, in order to attend college.

While at the University of Arkansas, Honey worked different jobs to put himself through school.

"I always admired him," she said, "for the way he came up and got his education. He was proud of his accomplishments and earned what he had."

Rufus Hicks, a friend of Honey's from Laneburg, told how Chuck worked as a janitor at PHS while he painted so the two could get through high school.

Following graduation, he said, Honey went to law school while Hicks went to agriculture school.

"He left Prescott with a suitcase and hitched to Fayetteville," Hicks said. "He had the goal of being an attorney as long as I knew him.

"He spent time in Washington working with Rep. Oren Harris."

Hicks said he didn't know the Honey family well, but did know they were poor and didn't have a lot. This is why Chuck had to work his way through high school.

One of the jobs Honey had while in Fayetteville, Hicks said, was as deputy sheriff with the Washington County Sheriff's Office. He also worked at a funeral home during his college years to help cut expenses.

Richard Smith, owner of Fikes Truck Line in Hope, said Honey was the hardest working person he's ever seen.

The two grew up near one another on Rosston Road until the Smith family moved to Kansas City.

In fact, it was Smith who taught Honey how to pick a few chords on the guitar. "His biggest love was country music," Smith said. "When we were 12 he'd come over and I'd teach him how to play a few chords. We'd spend time together now and then as we both lived on Rosston Road."

Smith said Honey should have been the valedictorian in his senior year, but had the honor taken away because of a problem of principles with the principal.

For his senior paper, Smith said, Honey wrote a comparative essay on the rich and poor, showing the disparity in what the rich have and the poor must endure. The principal at the time disagreed with the paper as it offended some wealthy people and suspended Honey from school.

The suspension cost Honey the valedictory position and much needed scholarship money for college, Smith said.

"He specifically offended some wealthy people," Smith said, "but it wasn't intentional. Chuck got in trouble for telling the truth more than once.

"He needed help on the scholarships and was the brightest student in school. He did what he needed to do to get to college ."

Harris, Smith said, befriended Honey as a young man. Honey admired Harris and worked as a congressional aide for him.

During his high school years, Smith said, Honey and Smith were assisted by J.S. Smith, the superintendent, and counselor Frances Thrasher.

Thrasher, he said, laid out the curriculum the two needed to take in order to be able to attend law school.

Honey, he said, stuck with it, while Smith studied music after high school.

Jimmy Hignight, his brother-in-law, said Chuck worked at Nelson Funeral Home in Fayetteville, sleeping in the mortuary and answering the phone to cut expenses, while also working as night jailer at the WCSO."He was always close to politics," Hignight said, "and ran for Congress in 1966." However, Honey lost this race, but continued working in politics in different areas for the rest of his life.

According to Hignight, Honey was close to his family, calling to check on his boys two and three times a day.

Honey also did a lot of free legal work, Highnight said, making sure the poor received the legal representation they deserved.

Honey and his wife, Betty, were married in the Hignight home in Gurdon with the two families present.

"He was brought up to know right from wrong," Hignight said of Honey. "He had integrity and came from a good, loving home."

With Honey's parents unable to help him financially, Hignight said, it took a lot of drive for him to do what he did. But he was determined to get an education and go forward with his life.

Honey was involved in the entertainment industry, helping bands break in. In fact, he helped get Shoji Tabuchi in at Branson.

Tabuchi met Honey when Tabuchi was working with David Houston with the Grand Ole Opry out of Hope. Honey suggested Tabuchi take his act to Branson, with the rest being history.

Now, Tabuchi has one of the most popular theaters in Branson.

"He was known by his friends to be a fine gentleman and an outstanding part of his community," Tabuchi said. "He will be missed by all who knew him. I remember him as being an avid fan of country music."

Eighth Judicial District North Circuit/Chancery Judge Jim Gunter said Honey was a long-time member of the bar and provided valuable services, especially to the defense.

He helped the poor on many occasions, Gunter said.

"This is a tough time for his family, and my sympathy goes out to them."

Church was an important part of Honey's life, as he was a long-time member of Central Baptist Church in Prescott.

Arliss East was his pastor before moving to Fordyce, and performed the funeral services Sunday, Oct. 1.

"He was a good man," East said of Honey. "I knew him from a spiritual standpoint and that made it more dear to me. I led him to the Lord and baptized him. We were intimate friends."

East said Honey was a great lawyer and was in court with him on a number of occasions, but the barrister also did a lot of work for the church.

In fact, East said, when Central Baptist's current building was under construction, Honey would go out and do manual labor on the project as the men of the church built the facility.

Mike Harmon, pastor of Garrett Memorial Baptist Church in Hope, knew Honey for 30 years.

"He was always a loyal friend," Harmon said. "He was one of the best defense attorneys in this area and believed everyone is entitled to the best legal defense possible.

"He loves to visit with me at length about Jesus Christ and the Bible. I will miss him."