Charles Oliver Walker III

Charles Oliver Walker III departed this life on September 26, 2025. This sudden and unexpected loss has left us deeply saddened, but we are holding on to all the special memories he left us with as the precious gifts they are to all of us.

Charles was born on February 22, 1964, in Fort Benning, Georgia. He grew up on multiple army bases with his parents and three sisters. As a military brat, Charles was heavily influenced by his father’s loyalty to family and sense of duty and honor as a man.

Charles was athletic and enjoyed playing sports, especially playing football for Westover High School. He was proud of the fact that his mother, who never missed a game, was always in the stands. Charles was an avid learner who attended North Carolina State University, graduating in 1986 with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business/Managerial Economics. He later went on to receive a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Information Technology from Guilford College and a Master’s of Science in Information Technology at an online university.

While at NC State, Charles worked in the school’s Sports Information office which gave him a front row seat to all NC State home basketball games and box privileges at football games where he was a spotter. He interacted with local and national sports journalists, broadcasters, and many famous college athletes and coaches, including the legendary Jim Valvano, who acknowledged Charles and respected his work.

He began his professional career at AMP (which later became Tyco Electronics) and worked there for 15 years as a production associate. He worked in every area of the production floor and, due to his leadership skills, was rapidly promoted to production supervisor. He was later recruited by ATI Laminates and was initially hired as their Information Technology manager in 2006. Using the same leadership skills as before, he ultimately worked his way up to an executive position as the Vice-President of Operations of ATI Laminates for the past 12 years.

Charles met his beloved wife Claudia on the internet 30 years ago. They both started using AOL on the same day with those AOL CDs we received in the mail. As destiny would have it, they both decided to hop into the same AOL chatroom and within minutes of chatting, they moved their conversation to a private chat room. They each told their friends, “If this person I just met is real, this is the person I am going to marry.” After weeks of old school communicating, via email, snail mail, and landline telephone, they decided to meet in person and the rest was history.

Charles and Claudia welcomed their first child, Charles IV in 1998, and Carmen arrived in 2001. Their family was complete and the four of them grew into a tight-knit unit. Charles taught his children to know their worth, to go for their dreams, and to have the confidence to be whatever they set their minds to. He taught them to be authentic while preaching the virtue and benefits of hard work. He was so very proud of both of them.

Charles loved music, sports, fishing, people watching, and family, among many other nerdy topics. He was a walking anthology of sports and music history. His musical taste was eclectic as he was an avid listener of the (3) FM radio stations available in Fayetteville, NC. He loved to make playlists and CDs for friends and family. He loved to watch and attend professional and college football games. Charles fished at every opportunity he could find and always made sure that trips to the coast included fishing alongside his family. “Just make sure I can put a pole in the water” is something he would always say.

But more than anything, Charles was a great guy. He was the life of the party. Sometimes he was “Mr. Peer Pressure” or the voice of reason, depending on the beverage at hand. He was hilarious with his unique perspective on (literally) everything. He was book and street smart. He was a strong leader. He was a loyal friend. And, above all, he loved his family so much, and he was never afraid to show it.

Charles is survived by his wife Claudia Walker (Lara), his children Charles and Carmen Walker, his mother Faustina Walker, and his sisters Jacqueline, Gwendolyn, and Lisa Walker, his nieces Meagan and Heather Chesley, and a host of relatives and friends. His father, Charles Jr. preceded him in death.

He will be missed.

“God only knows what I’d be without you.” - The Beach Boys