Charles Rene Cobos, 80, of Bryan, passed away peacefully at home on September 10, 2026, surrounded by his family.

Born October 3, 1945, in El Paso, Texas, to Victor and Blanca (Aguiar) Cobos, Charles grew up between Santa Fe, New Mexico, and El Paso, where he spent as much time as possible outdoors, keeping pet quail, hawks, owls, and at least one rattlesnake, and roaming his uncle's ranch in the mountains of Chihuahua, Mexico, with his cousins.

At the age of 18, his parents put him on a bus bound for College-Station to attend college, sight unseen. Two-days later, at midnight, he disembarked at the corner of University Dr and Texas Ave. Upon enrolling, the staff asked if he wanted Army or Air Force. Unknown to him, A&M was a military school at the time. So, he told them neither. They laughed at him. With more forcefulness, they asked again, Army or Air Force? He replied, ‘Army, I guess’

And so Charles attended Texas A&M University as a member of the Army Corps of Cadets, graduating in 1967 with a B.S. in Animal Science, and was commissioned that same year as an officer in the U.S. Army. He served until 1971, spending 13-months flying helicopters in Korea, and then in the Army Reserves until 1979. He left the Army as a Captain, with a lifelong love of flying and a general distaste for military bureaucracy.

In 1969 he married Jane Plott, and the two would remain, by every account, inseparable for the rest of his life.

After the Army, Charles and Jane returned to Bryan, where he added a second B.S., in Biomedical Science, and an M.S. in Physiology of Reproduction, to his Aggie credentials. He then flew for Petroleum Helicopters, Inc., ferrying crews and equipment out to Gulf Coast oil platforms; good work, but not particularly compatible with raising a family. So, Charles began turning his numerous innovative ideas into reality, starting a series of businesses with Jane.

Bryan Furnace Works, Inc., founded in 1978, designed and built outdoor wood-burning furnaces (U.S. Patent 4,194,688) and remains licensed today. Bryan Equipment, Inc., founded in 1988, made lightweight plastic folding tables for the rental industry (U.S. Patent 4,951,576) , until it was sold in 2004. A design that is still the industry standard today. Bryan Container, Inc., later Technology Plastics, Inc., founded in 1996, built corrosion-proof plastic commercial dumpster lids and liners, roping-dummy accessories, and towel roll holders (U.S. Patents 5,671,862 and 5,868,346), and still operates successfully today with daughter Angela taking over business operations. And his final invention, PolyCleat Trailer Flooring, launched in 2018 alongside Jane and Angela, makes light weight trailer flooring from 100% post-consumer recycled materials selling nationally and internationally.

Charles kept up a standing tradition with his Corps of Cadets Company D-1 "Spider D" friends, gathering for an Aggie football weekend nearly every year for 45 years running, a group that became as close as family. He was equally close with his own extended family of cousins, nieces, and nephews. He inherited his parents' sense of humor and never passed up a chance for a dry witty quip or funny comment, though he could rarely be captured actually smiling for a posed photo. He loved hunting and the outdoors, especially with his children and grandchildren, and spent nearly all his remaining time either building businesses alongside Jane or simply enjoying her company.

Charles was an avid newspaper reader and a genuine history buff, well-read enough to hold his own on just about any question you could throw at him. He was also famously handy, the kind of man who could fix nearly anything and build whatever you needed from scratch, with an inventor's mind that never stopped turning over new ideas. He also enjoyed traveling to visit family, either at their homes or rendezvousing with them at destinations around the globe.

He is survived by his wife, Jane Rose (Plott) Cobos; his sons, Daniel Cobos and Douglas Cobos and wife Andrea; his daughter, Angela Cobos; his sister, Sylvia Lieshoff and husband Bill; his brother, David Cobos and wife Susan; his grandchildren, Aubree, Lucas, Lillian, Amelia, and Eric Cobos; and many, many beloved cousins, nieces, and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Victor and Blanca Cobos, and his brother, Victor Cobos.

A viewing will be held Friday, September 18, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Callaway-Jones Funeral Home in Bryan, Texas.