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Charlie Witzleben
May 22, 1948 - March 4, 2022
Dearest friends and family,
Charlie passed peacefully surrounded in love late Friday night, March 4. His final words were "have you seen my grandsons? They are so cute!"
The photo says it all- dad's face of pure pride and peace seeing Vaughn and Hugh. Someday they will read all of these posts about the journey Papi has been on and they have many memories and photos with him. They will learn that we never leave family (or anyone) alone scared, in pain or suffering. We take care of the people we love and the people we love take care of us. How lucky to learn this lesson so young but how sad to have Papi leave us so soon. That search for meaning will take time.
Charlie was blessed seeing so many of you while he was still very much himself in person and FaceTime. Thank you for brightening his final days. And thank you for your support and teaching us how to help others in the future by your example of how you have dropped everything for us in the past 5 months. It has been wonderful to connect and reconnect. Charlie's very obvious goal of bring us all together is something will will always treasure.
Vaughn- his 7 year old grandson asked him a couple deep questions during our visit on Friday. One was- "Papi- what do you want to be known for?" Papi said "being kind" and Vaughn didn't miss a beat- he said "Papi- you are known for being kind." We all cried at his beautiful reaction reassuring Papi his legacy will live on! So take a page out of Papi's book- live without regret, be kind and say yes to the fun and adventure in life! Life is so precious.
Charlie's Celebration of Life will be in Durham May 20- his birthday weekend! More details to follow on Caring Bridge.
Sending love and light,
Charlie is our Angel and our Hero
FROM THE HERALD SUN NORTH CAROLINA
Charles Witzleben
May 22, 1948 - March 4, 2022
Durham, North Carolina - Heaven gained the life of the party on March 4th, 2022!
Charlie was a favorite friend to many. He made friends everywhere he went and never met a stranger. His zest for life and smile were infectious. His sense of humor was well known; his wit incomparable; story and joke teller extraordinaire! And he was a gentle, loving and fun-loving father and grandfather. Generous beyond words.
Charlie's life took him from Coral Gables, FL, (birth through 12th grade), to Mercer University in Macon, GA, graduating in 1970. Then he moved on to Evanston, IL, to work as a chapter consultant then Consultant Director for Sigma Alpha Epsilon national fraternity. One of the SAE chapters on his itinerary was Simpson College in Iowa. It was at Simpson where he and Karen Hughes had a blind date in the fall of 1970. That blind date would lead to Charlie and Karen's 31-year marriage. After time spent in Macon, GA, then a year or so with Mercer's Atlanta office, Charlie was chosen to join the development team at Emory University. Daughter Hilary Jean was born in 1978, and Charlie was 'over-the-moon' in love with being a dad! The family then took a giant step in 1986 and moved to Durham, NC, to join the fundraising consulting firm of Ross, Johnston, and Kersting. He and Karen welcomed son Clark Hughes in 1989, and again Charlie was ecstatic in fatherhood.
In 1992, Charlie formed his own fundraising and public relations firm, Witzleben & Associates. His friendly and tireless leadership style, creative and individualized thinking, and writing prowess helped scores of colleges, universities, independent schools, healthcare organizations, and other charities raise billions of dollars over the life of the firm. His hard work and devotion to detail was greatly appreciated, highly regarded, and widely recommended. He retired in December 2019 after a remarkable career.
Charlie happily led and/or served on many non-profit committees and boards, especially in Durham -- Durham Academy, The Hill Center, Duke Gardens, and Durham Central Park to name a few.
For all of Charlie's career success, he was an even more successful father, family man and friend. Charlie's favorite times were spent traveling with his kids and (later) grandkids, and he did his best to show his family every corner of the world. He relished his treks to exotic places – Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America were just a few of the many places he explored. He was even scheduled to visit Antarctica in January, 2023 with friends! One thing was always guaranteed when Charlie returned from his adventures – there were always PLENTY of pictures to show off and stories to share.
Charlie is preceded in death by his parents Jean and John (Jack) Witzleben.
Charlie is survived by his daughter Hilary Taylor and son-in-law Carson and grandsons Vaughn and Hugh of Telluride, CO, and son Clark Witzleben and daughter-in-law Katy of Arvada, CO, his former wife Karen Witzleben, his twin brother Larry, and older brother Fred, as well as nieces and nephews (and their children) in many states.
In lieu of flowers, Charlie asks that memorial gifts be considered for the following organizations: The Hock Family Pavilion (Duke HomeCare and Hospice), Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Duke Chapel Music Endowment, and Feeding the Valley Foodbank of Southwest Georgia.
A memorial service will be held in May.
As Charlie said in his final days, "If the curtains must close, it's been a great show!"
It sure was. Bravo!
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/charliewitzleben
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Mary Catarineau
Charlie was one of those people you always hoped to see again. My condolences to Larry, his family and friends. His wit and charm will be missed.
Deborah Viera
Charlie and Larry were friends from Junior High. Larry had a crush on my sister, Angie, for a while.
Charlie made me laugh a LOT! It was wonderful working with him on committees and his energy was remarkable. He was SOOOO smart!
He was certainly a blessing. And, may that bring a comfort to his loved ones at this difficult time.
Tears are shed for the poignant memories of him and his lovely family, unabounding energy and the love he exuded.
Prayers for all of you. And, thanks for the blessing he was,
Debbie Viera
Maria Elena Suarez (Navarro)
Condolences to the family. I remember him as a witty, polite young man. Always a gentleman. Rest in the arms of the Lord Charlie!
Susan Rasor (Walker)
This is a hard one. Charlie was like a brother to me. I haven't seen him for many many years, most of his adult life, but this had hit me hard. We had a lot of laughs and fun times back in the day so I will remember him like that. So happy his grandkids brought him so much love. You will be missed. Get that place ready for us Charlie, we'll all be there sooner or later. God speed.
Eugene Wood
Very sorry to hear about Charlie's passing. He was obviously a great dad and granddad.
Mary Eva Corey
I echo Susan's comments. I have not seen Charlie since High School, yet, I was stunned to learn that he is no longer here. Spontaneous tears even after all of these years.
Such a wonderful guy. Funny, smart, KIND! So many great memories. The one word that immediately jumps to mind is----laughter. After reading the tribute written by his family, I am comforted that he led an exciting life and was much loved.
Barry Green
Charlie,
New you a long tome since Kinloch.. You were Mrs Willis favorite person, She would speak of you and that was our standard, From you leading the band in parades to the silver Knight awards to president of the senior class.
so this isn;t the snd for you,Just the beginning of a journey.
Lois Leventhal (Greene)
Charlie and I shared some classes together and was a funny and totally sweet guy. I am so sad to hear of his passing.
Ines Perry (Ponce Abdelnour)
I'm so sorry to hear this. He was such a nice guy. Condolences to his family.
Patsy Trubow (Hollister)
I just now learned of Charlie's passing and was so stunned to see that. A lot of my high school memories involve him. He was fun, a good leader, and a genuinely nice person as was his twin, Larry. My sincere condolences to all of his family. This news truly saddens me.