William Charles "Charlie" Witzleben

1948 - 2022

W. 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!