| Graduation Year | Class of 1969 |
| Date of Passing | Mar 01, 2020 |
| About | Charles “Charlie” T. Page, III passed peacefully on Sunday, March 1, 2020. Charlie is also referred to as “Charles T” by those who knew him the longest. He was his wife Leslie’s soulmate, husband, and best friend and was fortunate to be loved by many. When he passed away, Leslie was by his side and he was surrounded by family and friends. He was preceded in death by his dear parents, Charles T. Page, Jr. and Rose McCormick Page. In 1913, Charlie’s great grandfather bought a store in the heart of Batesville from the Joseph’s for Charlie’s grandfather, Charles T. Page, to run and they called it “Page’s Store”. The store thrived in the community with Charlie and his parents continuing to run it through 1994. Charlie’s parents and grandfather also ran the post office that was initially inside of the store. The Pages, along with others in the community, helped make Batesville the wonderful community it still is today, thriving with others to carry the legacy forward. The store is now the Batesville Market. Charlie is also preceded in death by his sister, Martha Ann Fairlamb, and his dear aunt, Anna Bell McChesney, his biggest fan. In addition to me, Charlie is survived by his dear cousin/“sister”, Abby Baird, and her husband, Tim Baird; his brother-in-law, George “Currie” Fairlamb; his parent-in-laws, Jan and Nancy Andrus who have been an anchor for us during these hard years; his sister-in-law, M. Lynn Jenkinson and her husband, Joel; Cooper dog; a close family friend, Henry Botchford; and many other very, very dear friends and Batesville community members. Charlie grew up helping to run Page’s Store, even sleeping on the counter when he was little while his mother closed the books for the day. He bought his first tractor when he was about 12 and he always loved to be outside mowing or doing other work when he wasn’t at the store. Charlie’s bright face and great sense of humor helped make the day for many. Even in his last days, he made us all chuckle. When Charlie was young, a neighbor taught him how to throw a baseball curve ball. He became an excellent baseball player in his youth and later was a walk-on for the baseball team at Chowan College where he spent two years. He became known as someone who could fix most anything. He had the “McCormick blood in him,” we would say, as he was distantly related to Cyrus McCormick who invented the reaper. Charlie was an extraordinary and dedicated caretaker for his mother for her last years. He figured out any way he could to make her life better, such as putting a microwave and refrigerator right next to her favorite chair so she could stay upstairs where she felt safe. He had a baby monitor so he could hear her when he was at home next door and she would call him at all hours of the night. He would answer with a “smile” and tell her to “call ANYTIME”. He would tell our elderly neighbor and his Aunt Anna Bell the same thing, no matter how often or how late or early they called. He and his Mom were buddies throughout life, and their good-humored bantering is one of our fond memories. During this period of caring for his mother, he was apparently slowly growing a brain tumor. We discovered it in 2015 and, after surgery and many treatments, he had a slow but mostly pain-free decline, still enjoying life mostly pain free until his last days when he suddenly worsened. His wife was by his side every day, almost always helping him with his dinner and tucking him in for the night. A special thanks to the wonderful Commonwealth Senior Living team who became his pals and took great care of him; and to Maggie, Edith, Sarah and Pat from Hospice of the Piedmont who were also amazing supports for Charlie and his wife. Charlie and I (his wife) loved to travel together, to listen to live music, and hang out with our Batesville friends that are almost like family. We enjoyed life and had so much fun together. We especially loved to travel to New Orleans, my hometown, and to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico where we made some special friends. Charlie also had many loved horses, dogs and cats throughout the years. Charlie – we will miss you. Rest in peace, my dear love, buddy, and soulmate. |
