Dr. C. R. Alston was a native of Littleton, North Carolina.  He was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Joe R. Alston.  He had three sisters Margaret A. Williamson (D), Bettie L. Bailey (D), and Lillian M. Burnette (D).  He was married for the past 72 years to the graceful and charismatic love of his life, Mrs. Marcella Solomon Alston (D), who served as First Lady as Dr. Alston pastored several churches for more than 100 concurrent years of pastoral care to several churches.  Doctor and Mrs. Alston were the proud parents of two sons Roger N. Alston (Lessie) of Chesapeake, Va. and Ronald E. Alston of Baltimore, MD. (D).

Dr. Alston received his Bachelor of Science Degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University of Greensboro, North Carolina, a Masters' Degree in Mathematics from Virginia State College (now Virginia State University), Petersburg, Virginia.  He received a Doctor of Divinity and Doctors of Humane Letters from the Richmond Virginia Seminary in Richmond, Virginia.  Dr. Alston also completed Advance Studies in the areas of Guidance at the University of Virginia as well as Advanced Studies in the area of Administration and Supervision at Virginia State University and he attended the School of Theology at Virginia Union University Richmond, Virginia.

Dr. Alston was a Retired School Teacher and Administrator from the Sussex County Public Schools, Sussex, Virginia.

In September 2005, Dr. Alston retired as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Lawrenceville, Virginia after 47 years of faithful and dedicated service.  He continued to serve as Pastor Emeritus.  For his service to the Unified Shiloh Baptist Association, a plaque and $500 scholarship is awarded to a young person who exhibits Outstanding Leadership Abilities.  This award is known as the "Dr. C. R. Alston Award."

In 2009, Dr. Alston retired as Senior Pastor of the Liberty Baptist Church, Waverly, Virginia with 39 years of dedicated and faithful service.  At his retirement, the title of Pastor Emeritus was bestowed upon him.

His other affiliations include Past Moderator of the Unified Shiloh Baptist and Bethany Baptist Associations, Board of Directors for the Virginia Baptist Children's Home, Waverly Masonic Lodge # 70 F. & A. M. P.H. A where he served as Treasurer and took pride in his record of missing less than 10 meetings over his 56 years of active and continuous membership, Past President of the Sussex Education Association, Past President of the Sussex County Youth & Adult Recreation Association, Inc., The Virginia State Baptist Convention, the NAACP and numerous other organizations totaling over 25 with over 400 years of concurrent service.

In 2019, a new Scholarship was jointly established in his honor at God's House Baptist Church located in the city of Norfolk, Virginia.

Dr. Alston leaves to cherish his memory: his son Roger N. Alston (Lessie); four grandsons, SFC Roger L. Alston (Takenia) US Army, Ronald E. Alston, Jr. of Baltimore, MD, David Credle of Norfolk, VA and Calvin Credle of Virginia Beach, VA (D), two granddaughters Marcella I. Alston-Chauncey of Portsmouth, VA and Rita Gibson (Benjamin) of North Carolina, sixteen great-grandchildren, along with a host of nieces and nephews, all of whom he loved and adored.

Dr. Alston held a very special place in his heart for his extended families of Lawrenceville, Blackstone, and Waverly.