Charles Syer IV ’53

“Buddy,” as he was called by classmates, was one of eight Woodberry Forest School “Tigers” who entered Princeton in September 1949. Gus Brothman ’ 51 learned that Buddy died May 6, 2014. He had been living at Westminster Canterbury in Hampton Roads, Va., a retirement facility on the Chesapeake Bay where Gus also lives. Gus said that Buddy suffered a severe stroke on Christmas Eve 2013 and failed to recover from it.

At Princeton, Buddy graduated cum laude in economics and took his meals at Charter Club, not Cottage as his obituary stated. He wrote for The Daily Princetonian and Nassau Sovereign and roomed senior year with Bill Taylor, Bill Webster, and Jack Mills. Jack recalls that Buddy was “very intelligent” with “a pleasant personality” and is sorry Buddy did not maintain contact.

Buddy served the obligatory two years in the Army and then worked at Hanover Bank in New York City, the Investment Corp. of Virginia, and United Virginia Bankshares (now SunTrust Bank in Norfolk). He was keenly interested in the arts and was a voracious reader.

Buddy never married. Among his survivors are his brother, John B., niece Virginia Genereux, and nephew John B. Jr. We are saddened to lose this thoughtful and gentle man.