Charles Tilden Hagan Jr.

Charles Tilden Hagan, Jr.
Major General USMCR, Ret.
'Charlie'
GREENSBORO -- Mr. Hagan, better known as 'Charlie,' died Friday evening, October 16, 2009, at WellSpring Retirement Community. A memorial service will be held at 2 pm on Tuesday, October 20, at First Presbyterian Church.
Charlie was born in Greensboro, NC on April 20, 1913. His parents were Charles T. Hagan and Anne Guy Hagan. His grandfather, Adam Hagan, was one of the founders of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce in 1888.
He attended Greensboro Senior High School, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and received his law degree from the University of Virginia. He was licensed as an attorney in 1936, and commissioned as a reserve officer in the Marine Corps after completion of the very first platoon leaders class ever conducted. He returned to Greensboro to practice law and became immersed in the life of the community. He loved to sail, and as a 24-year-old, he organized a Sea Scout Ship, the Davey Jones, to teach sailing and leadership to Boy Scouts who otherwise did not have access to boats and boating. The Davey Jones was recognized as the National Flagship of Sea Scouting for three years in a row, and the base from which they operated on High Rock Lake has been named the Charles T. Hagan, Jr. Sea Scout Base in honor of the leadership he provided for Sea Scouting.
He was called to active duty in February 1941 and served in Belim, Brazil. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, he joined the 4th Marine Division and served with that Division at Roi-Namur, Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima. During World War II, he received the Bronze Star with Combat V awarded for heroic achievement at Tinian, a Letter of Commendation, a Presidential Unit Citation with bronze star, and numerous campaign medals. Following World War II, he remained active in the USMC Reserves, eventually reaching the rank of Major General. While a member of the Reserve Forces Policy Board, he served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. When he retired in 1973, he was the highest ranking USMC Reserve officer in the country.
Following World War II, he returned to Greensboro to practice law. He served as Solicitor (now District Attorney) for Guilford and Davidson Counties, and was deemed such a fine prosecutor that the State of North Carolina employed him several years later to prosecute high profile white collar crimes. He obtained a conviction which on appeal was upheld by the NC Supreme Court. This was the first time the NC Supreme Court had considered a commercial bribery case. In 1955 he founded the firm which became Adams Kleemeier Hagan Hannah & Fouts. He was a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, a recognition of his expertise as a trial lawyer, and served as President of the Greensboro Bar Association. His commitment to truth and justice, and his contributions to the Greensboro Bar, resulted in the Greensboro Bar Association's recognizing him in 1995 with its Distinguished Service Award.
He felt deeply that he should contribute to the community in which he lived and which he loved. While he served the community in many capacities, including as President of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, his greatest love was the Greensboro War Memorial Coliseum. He became Chairman of the Greensboro Coliseum Commission upon its completion, and continued to serve as the Commission Chairman for over 20 years. During that time, the Coliseum went through two major renovations and established itself as the premier community and entertainment center that it has become. He continued to serve as an active member of the Commission for many years, and remained an honorary member of the Commission at his death.
In 1996 he was inducted into the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame, in recognition of his extraordinary contribution of leadership to the business community. He was an Elder in First Presbyterian Church.
He is survived by his five children and nine grandchildren: Anne B. Hagan; Charles T. Hagan III (Chip), his wife, Kay R. Hagan, and their three children, Jeanette C. Hagan, C. Tilden Hagan IV, and Carrie C. Hagan; Henry G. Hagan, his wife Sims M. Hagan, and their four children, Blair C. Hagan, Sarah Sims Hagan, Elizabeth (Bethy) A. Hagan, and Maxwell (Max) G. Hagan; John C. Hagan; and David B. Hagan, his wife Mary G. Hagan and their two children, E. Guy Hagan, and Carter (Bo) B. Hagan.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Virginia Blair Carter Hagan, one son, Carter Lee Hagan, his brother J. Guy Hagan, his sister Barbara H. Norris, and his special friend, Irene Murphy.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 617 N. Elm Street, Greensboro, NC 27401; Boy Scouts of America for the Charles T. Hagan, Jr. Sea Scout Base, 1405 Westover Terrace, Greensboro, NC 27408; or Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest, P.O. Box 419, Forest, VA 24551.