Charles Cathcart Senior

1942 - 2025

"For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." –Phillipians 1:21.

Charles Stevens "Steve" Cathcart died in his home in Lexington, Va., on December 5, 2025, at the age of 83. He was born in Buffalo, N.Y., and lived in Rochester, N.Y., until he was 14 when his father was transferred from Eastman Kodak in Rochester to Eastman Kodak in Kingsport, Tenn. It was there he met the absolute love of his life, Margaret Wheeler to whom he was married for 62 years. After graduating from Dobyns-Bennett high school in 1960, he attended Wake Forest University, graduating with a degree in Philosophy. He then served three years with the Army in Fort Campbell, KY and from there worked three years in Personnel with Archer Products (a division of RJ Reynolds).

In 1972, he and his wife and their two young children moved to Richmond, Va., so he could attend Union Theological Seminary and begin his vocation as Pastor in the Presbyterian Church. From 1974 until 1981, he pastored three churches in the Falling Springs, Va., area. From 1981 until 1992, Steve pastored the congregation of Royal Oak Presbyterian Church, Marion, Va., and from 1992 until his retirement in 2004 he pastored the people of Carmel Presbyterian, Charlotte, N.C. After retirement, Steve and Margaret returned to Steve's childhood home in Kingsport, Tenn. In 2013 Steve and Margaret moved to the Lexington, Va., area where Steve continued to serve the Presbyterian Church through a series of interim pulpit supplies.

Those listed as survivors of Steve Cathcart will be eager to share the wonder of this man with you, but until then, Steve would often sign off his letters to his wife and children with the phrase, "Your Devoted (Husband, Dad)" and he was. He was a devoted man to his Lord, seeking to serve his Maker and Savior in all truthfulness, honesty, humility, and love. He was a devoted son and brother. He was a devoted husband to his amazing wife throughout their 67 years of courtship and marriage. He was a devoted father, uncle and grandfather to his three children, nephew, and eight grandchildren along the many paths they have all traveled. He was a devoted pastor, earnestly seeking to love his congregation as faithfully as their Creator would want them to be loved. He was devoted as a citizen of this world, where any person he encountered was someone his Lord had made with intentional care, and whom he sought to dignify with genuine attention.

Steve is survived by his wife, Margaret Wheeler Cathcart; their three children, Laura Cathcart Hoofnagle (husband, Andy Hoofnagle), Charles (Charlie) Stevens Cathcart Jr. (wife, Cheryl Cathcart), David Wheeler Cathcart (Shelly Cathcart). Eight grandchildren, Matthew Hoofnagle (wife, Brianna Hoofnagle) Adam Hoofnagle (wife, Catie Hoofnagle), Charles Stevens Cathcart III (Trey), Cole Cathcart, Ajay Cathcart (wife, Janie Cathcart), Sophia Cathcart, Jack Cathcart, Tom Cathcart; nephew, Eugene Childs Cathcart,IV; and three great-grandchildren.

Manly Memorial Baptist Church, located at 202 South Main Street, Lexington, VA 24450, will host a visitation of the family on Thursday, December 11, 2025, beginning at 1 p.m., followed by a Celebration of Life at 3 p.m. Livestream of the Celebration will be broadcast on the church's facebook and YouTube pages. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Connections Plus, Healthcare hospice, 315 Myers St. Lexington, VA or Rockbridge Area Young Life, P.O. Box 174, Lexington, VA 24450.