Charles Hussey Boney

Charles Hussey Boney, FAIA

Wilmington

Charles H. Boney, FAIA, Wilmington Architect, passed away on Friday, May 16, 2014 at his residence. He was born in Wilmington, NC on November 16, 1924, the son of Mary Lily Hussey and Leslie Norwood Boney.

He served in World War II as a member of the US Army Combat Engineers in the European Theater, where he built bridges in advance of Patton's march towards the Battle of the Bulge, and then to Berlin.

Upon returning to North Carolina, he graduated from North Carolina State University's College of Design with a BA in Architecture in 1950. While at State, he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi Leadership Fraternity, was alternate winner of the Paris Prize in Architecture, and played on the Varsity Tennis Team. In 1998 the University honored him as an outstanding alumnus of the School of Design with its Wings on Wings award.

Following graduation, Charlie joined his father and two brothers at the architecture firm founded by his father in 1922. Charlie was President and Chief Designer for Boney Architects. He won his first major design award in 1955 for Little Chapel on the Boardwalk, and went on to win numerous awards for a wide variety of public, educational, commercial, and preservation projects. His work was published in Architectural Record, Progressive Architecture, Southern Architect, North Carolina Education, and Modern Hospital, among others.

Healthcare design was a special interest of his. He was chief architect for the design of New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Pender Memorial Hospital, Duplin General Hospital, and Cape Fear Memorial Hospital. Other notable projects in the Wilmington area include Cooperative Bank Headquarters (now First Bank), Hoggard and Laney High Schools, Brogden Hall, Alderman Elementary School, and UNCW's Kenan Auditorium.

Ever an advocate for the profession of architecture, he held over a dozen AIA positions at the local, state, and national levels, and served as President of AIA NC in 1974. He was elevated to the College of Fellows in 1974. In 2003, his peers across North Carolina recognized Mr. Boney with the F. Carter Williams Gold Medal for career achievement.

Historic preservation was a passion of Charlie's, and he was a key player in the establishment of the Wilmington Historic District. He was President of the Historic Wilmington Foundation, Chairman of the City Historic Preservation Commission, and was appointed by several Governors to the Capitol Preservation Commission and the North Carolina Battleship Commission.

Charlie held leadership roles for many civic and service organizations including the Wilmington Parks and Recreation Commission, the Barium Springs Home for Children, Union Theological Seminary, the Family Service Society, the Committee on Performing Arts, the Housing Policy Task Force, and the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. He was named Wilmington's Citizen of the Year in 1979. In 2014, he was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.

He was a lifelong member of First Presbyterian Church, and served as youth leader, Sunday School teacher, Deacon, and Elder.

He was a member of Cape Fear Country Club, Carolina Yacht Club, The Surf Club, L'Arioso German Club, and the Downtown Rotary Club. He was a member of the Board of Directors of Cooperative Bank of Wilmington for 37 years before his retirement in 2001.

Mr. Boney is survived by his wife, Betty Holland Boney; four children, Elizabeth Boney Jenkins and husband Dr. Clauston Jenkins, of Wilmington; Charles Hussey Boney, Jr. and wife Lynne of Wilmington; Suzanne Boney Coleman and husband J. William Coleman III of Wilmington; and Christopher Lawrence Boney and wife Sutton of Wilmington. Also surviving are his sister, Sue Boney Ives; Sister-in-Law, Lillian Bellamy Boney; and Sister-in-Law, Jessie Leigh Davis Boney. He has four grandchildren, John William Coleman IV, Christopher Lawrence Boney, Jr., Charles Henry Boney, and May Armstrong Boney.

The family will host a visitation at 2105 Gillette Drive from 4-6 on Sunday evening.

Memorial Services will be held at First Presbyterian Church on Monday, May 19 at 11 o'clock. Interment will be in Oakdale Cemetery after the memorial service.

The family requests that memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church Building Fund, The Lower Cape Fear Historical Society, the Historic Wilmington Foundation, or the charity of one's choice.

Online condolences may be made at www.andrewsmortuary.com

Andrews Market Street Chapel