Charlie Compton, a 1959 Santa Maria High School graduate and longtime supporter and coach of girls softball, passed away at his home on Tuesday, June 22, at the age of 68 after a long battle with cancer.  His wife of 51 years, Carol, and his three daughters, Sandra, Tracy and Heather, were at his side.  Born in Santa Maria on Sept. 11, 1941 and known for being an outstanding athlete at Santa Maria High, where he graduated in 1959. Compton was a founder of the Orcutt Express softball program.  He is probably most well known for being the father of two former Righetti and UCLA softball stars, dauthers Tracy and Heather.  One of his last public appearances was when his daughter Heather was inducted into the Righetti High School Athletic Hall of fame in ceremonies held May 17 at the Santa Maria Country Club.  Compton was instrumental in the building of the original softball fields at Lakeview Junior High and coached or served as a member of the board of directors for the Orcutt Youth Softball League for many years.  He founded the Orcutt Express team in 1976 and won the national championship in 1981 in a tournament hosted by the Express at Simas Park.  Compton coached the California Raiders out of Los Angeles and won two more national titles. Compton was the only pitching coach for both his daughters, Tracy and Heather, helping them win CIF championships at Righetti and earning scholarships to UCLA.  Both became All-American pitchers and were named to Team USA.  In an article in the Santa Maria Times at the end of the decade, Compton was named one of the Top 10 coaches of the decade.  He leaves a great legacy of softball behind with his granddaughter Hayley Davis about to begin hr senior year at Righetti after accepting a softball scholarship to the University of Mississippi.  A celebration of his life will be held at the family home at Lake Naciemento on July 10, 2010.