Charles Mittry Wall Colson

Charles Mittry Wall Colson, aged 91, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 25, 2026, in Savannah, Georgia. Born on October 31, 1934, in Marlow, Georgia, Charles lived a life full of adventure, service, and dedication to his family and country.

A devoted father and grandfather, Charles is survived by his beloved daughters, Elizabeth Victoria Colson and Rachelle Marie Batista Colson Garcia, and his cherished stepdaughter, Ashley. His legacy continues with his grandsons, Jimmy Arbogast (Celeste Wood), Jonathan Arbogast (Crystal), Robert Batista, Michael Caldwell (Dawn Underwood), and step-granddaughter, Caitlin. He also leaves behind 10 great-grandchildren, step-great-granddaughter, a great-great-grandson Nathaniel, three half-brothers, Joe Colson, Garry Colson, Jack Colson ,a half-sister, Thelma Bolin, several cousins including his dear cousin, John Shearouse.

Charles was preceded in death by his father, Jasper Hinely Colson, and his mother, Alice Victoria Wall Wilhelm, as well as numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. He is also preceded by his pets, canaries and partidges as well as his dogs Tweedley, Winbag, Loby and Shadow.

From a young age, Charles showed exceptional promise and resilience. At the end of 9th grade, he left Savannah High School and the marching band (clarinet) to join the workforce. His first job was at Belk on Broughton Street setting up window displays and eventually participating in the Civil Air Patrol at Travis Field. His passion for aviation led him to a distinguished 23-year career as an air traffic controller in the United States Air Force, where he served multiple tours in Spain, as well as in France, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Virginia, and Thailand, South Carolina. He proudly saved many lives during his military service, including that of the legendary Brigadier General Chuck Yeager.

After his military retirement, Charles continued his work as an air traffic controller with the FAA for another 23 years. Outside of his career, he was an avid historian, tracing his family's roots back to the 1600's in Scotland and also tracing his Salzburger roots. He was an enthusiastic participant in archaeological digs, being one of the first to dig at Italica in Seville, Spain.

Charles was a generous man with a heart full of humor and a readiness to help those in need. His eclectic interests included bird hunting in Spain, collecting shotguns, building and flying remote control airplanes, and playing the guitar, a skill he mastered in the 1970´s. His strong hands loved making things, out of wood, so much that he built his own house in Vero Beach, Florida. One could always find him working on a project or taking apart a piece of machinery to see how it worked and putting it back together again. Fixing broken things made him happy. He also enjoyed model trains, was a licensed pilot with his own Grumman airplane, and was working towards becoming a Hamm radio operator, his latest project with his grandsons. Charles kept up with the cutting edge of technology, from his tape recorder to his calculator to a bag phone to the iphone 13, portrait cameras and movie cameras and then computers. If it was the latest rage he had it and he mastered it. He was an avid baseball and football fan, always cheering on his Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tampa Bay Rays. He also enjoyed playing chess and raising canaries.

His love for travel took him across Europe, enriching his life with diverse experiences. In his pursuit of knowledge, Charles earned an associate's degree in Liberal Arts from St. Leo College and was fluent in both English and Spanish.

A graveside service to honor and celebrate Charles MW Colson´s remarkable life will be held on Friday at 3:30 p.m. at Marlow Cemetery. Arrangements are provided by Flanders Powell Funeral Home & Crematory.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to the Marlow Cemetery Fund, C/O Richard Saxon, 3 Jasmine Lane (Off Sandhill Road), Guyton, GA 31312, to honor Charles's dedication to preserving history.

Charles Mittry Wall Colson will be remembered for his zest for life, his compassionate spirit, and his unwavering dedication to his family and country. He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.