Dr. Charles Bealer Pate

1944 - 2024

Dr. Charles Bealer Pate

Aug 31, 1944 - Jul 18, 2024

Dr. Charles (Charlie) Bealer Pate passed away suddenly and unexpectedly after a fall in his home on Thursday, July 18, 2024. He was kind, thoughtful, always interested in learning, and had a quiet and sometimes surprising sense of humor. If you knew Charlie, he was probably one of your favorite people, and if you didn't know him, just know that you missed out on some friendly, interesting, and enjoyable moments in life.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, the former Leigh Wood; their three daughters; and five grandchildren. Born on August 31, 1944, in Florence, SC to Thaddeus Charles (TC) and Esther Scarborough Pate, he moved to Darlington, SC at age 12. His children loved hearing his stories about growing up in a small South Carolina town – from trips to the movies with a nickel in his pocket (four cents for a movie ticket and an extra penny to buy candy) and a quick stop to see the bones in his feet with the X-ray machine at the local shoe store, to catching a chicken for dinner, to eating boiled peanuts and playing with his friends under the front porch – friends with whom he stayed in touch through reunions at the beach for decades to come.

He earned both his bachelor's degree and his PhD in Chemistry from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. After graduation, he joined the faculty at Salem College and made the move to Winston-Salem, which became his home for the next 53 years. In his first year teaching at Salem, he began dating Leigh, who was a senior at Salem and his student lab assistant. On their first date, not wanting to call him Dr. Pate, Leigh asked if she could call him Charlie, the name we all fondly know him by now. They were the darlings of Salem during their courtship and married in 1973. They welcomed their first child Ann Scott (Scottie) into the world in 1977, followed by Elizabeth Leigh in 1978, and Virginia Wood in 1982. During his girls' childhoods, Charlie became a legend in the local swimming community as a meet director and stroke and turn judge, spending many a weekend supporting his children and officiating at swim meets.

Charlie had an unassuming gift for connecting people and knowledge, which showed in his work at Salem, as well as in his 37 summers of teaching at NC Governor's School. He was always reading something, from scientific journals to the New York Times to his favorite Great American Short Stories. Every Friday, you could find Charlie having a scotch at the Silver Moon Saloon, chatting with an old friend or new. He mentored hundreds of students throughout his career. After his retirement from Salem in 2010, he took up drawing as a hobby and continued to find ways to have a positive impact on his community, from delivering for Meals on Wheels with his neighbors, to encouraging a young mentee to pursue a graduate degree, to helping several Wake Forest football players through their chemistry courses.

Charlie is survived by his wife, Leigh; daughters, Scottie Pate, Elizabeth Foley, and Virginia Pate (Allison Deal); and grandchildren, Grace, Clare, Mary, Zi'marie, and Miracle; as well as his sister, Jane Jones. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Salem College Chemistry Department or to St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Arrangements are being handled by Salem Funeral Home (www.salemfh.com).

Service information: Wednesday July 24, 2024 at 2 p.m. at St Paul's Episcopal Church, Winston Salem, followed by a reception at Forsyth Country Club.

Salem Funeral & Cremation (Downtown)