Charles Mason Cleaver Jr.

CLEAVER, Charles Mason Jr., age 86, of Deltaville, formerly of Colonial Heights, passed away on Tuesday, October 21, 2008. He was the son of the late Charles M. Cleaver Sr. and Helen Paul Finessey. He was born in Philadelphia, Pa. He attended Duke University for one year and enlisted in the Army Air Corps when WWII began. He served with the 362nd Fighter Group for the duration of the war and then continued his education at Duke, getting a degree in forestry and botany. He was active in several civic organizations, to include the Middlesex Lions Club where he served as past president, and was a member of Christ Church (Episcopal), where he served as Senior Warden and on a number of committees. He was predeceased by his wife, Cecile M. Wright; and his sisters, Helen Paul Barr and Roberta Weir. He is survived by his wife, Nancy Roane Fowler Cleaver; his sons, Charles Mason Cleaver III and John Eric Cleaver; sisters, Shirley Beck, Barbara Ann Crawley, Nora Davis; stepson, Walter D. Fowler; stepdaughter, Beverly Fowler Canada; grandsons, John Eric and Ralph Hodges; granddaughter, Erica Wilhide; great-grandson, John Mason Wilhide; stepgrandchildren, Erin, Blythe, William, and Todd; stepgreat- grandchildren, Chase, Austin, Owen, Kyle and Evan. Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 25, 2008 at Christ Church Parish (Episcopal), Middlesex County. Interment in church cemetery, followed by a reception in the Parish Hall. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Christ Church Parish, P.O. Box 476, Saluda, Va. 23149, or to St. Michael's Episcopal Church, 501 Old Town Dr., Colonial Heights, Va. 23834. Arrangements by Bristow-Faulkner Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Saluda.
This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.