Charles Wood Chatham Sr.

1939 - 2023

Chatham Sr., Charles Wood

March 16, 1939 - January 27, 2023

The morning of January 27, 2023, we lost a dear friend, father, and brother when Charles Wood Chatham Sr. peacefully passed away. Charlie was deeply loved and will be greatly missed.

On March 16, 1939, Charlie was born to Evelyn Wood Chatham and Charles Gwyn Chatham in Louisville, Ky. Charlie's family moved several times during his childhood, spending time in Campbellsville, Ky., Augusta, Ga., and San Carlos, Calif., before settling in Buckhead, Atlanta, Ga., where he attended and was graduated from North Fulton High School. Charlie attended Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., where he was graduated with a B.A. in Sociology.

After graduation, Charlie served in the U.S. Army as a 2nd Lieutenant stationed in Fort Benning, Ga. Following his service in the Army, Charlie returned to Winston-Salem, where he met and married the love of his life, Patricia Grimsley Chatham. Charlie and Trisha had a son, Charles Wood Chatham Jr., in 1976, and created a wonderful life for their family in their home on Buena Vista Road.

Charlie devoted his career to finance. He was a founding officer of Forsyth National Bank. He also served as an officer of Southern National Bank and BB&T. Charlie finished his career as a stockbroker for Morgan Stanley.

Charlie was a loving father and husband. He spent countless hours with his son, Wood, building sandcastles, providing "dad ski lessons," and chaperoning Indian Guides and Boy Scout events. Charlie was an amazing friend, who loved to host cocktail parties, cook delicious banquets, and plan elaborate Wake Forest tailgates. He also never missed an opportunity to hit the dance floor.

Charlie had a gift for nurturing plants and animals. He loved gardening and was famous for his succulent tomatoes. He deeply loved and cared for his dogs, Missy, Duke, Mugsy, and Sadie. He inspired many others, including his son, to adopt shelter dogs. Charlie also had a passion for travel, journeying to six of the seven continents, having adventures from the sampans of Hong Kong to the history-drenched streets of the Holy Land.

Charlie is survived by his son, Charles Wood Chatham Jr. and his wife, Brooke, of Katonah, N.Y.; his granddaughters, Cate Baxter Chatham and Bea Baxter Chatham, of Katonah, N.Y.; sister, Alice Chatham Loftin of Roanoke, Va.; niece, Catherine Loftin Odum and her husband, Robert, of Charlotte, N.C.; nephew, Christopher Gwyn Loftin of Highland, Kan.; great nephew, Charles Alexander Loftin of Roanoke, Va.; and great nieces, Evelyn Gwyn Loftin of Roanoke, Va., Alice Dean Odum, and Catherine Charles Odum, of Charlotte, N.C.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held 2 p.m., Friday, February 24, 2023, in Piner Hall at Arbor Acres United Methodist Retirement Community, 1240 Arbor Road, Winston-Salem, N.C. Condolences may be made online at www.salemfh.com.

The family requests that any memorials be made to Forsyth Humane Society at 4881 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27104. https://forsythhumane.org/donate-now/

Salem Funeral & Cremation Service (Downtown)