Charles D. Towers Jr. ’45

On April 30, 2015, the class lost one of its more colorful members when Charlie passed away. Charlie, who was larger than life and always wonderfully gregarious with his classmates and others, entered Princeton from The Hill School in the footsteps of his father, a member of the Class of 1916, and ahead of his brother, William B. Towers ’48. Accelerating his studies, he earned a degree in politics in 1944, after playing both freshman and varsity football and joining Cottage Club.

Following service as a Navy amphibious officer — seeing combat in the Pacific and being awarded the Silver Star — he joined his father’s law firm in Jacksonville, where he remained for a lifetime of accomplishment. In 1950 he married Louise “Beezie” DeVore, and they had five daughters. Charlie was very active in his community and church, serving as an elder in the First Presbyterian Church and  chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and United Way.

After more than 40 years of marriage to Beezie, he lost her to leukemia and married Katy Warren. She survives him along with his daughters, Cathy Hardage, Morley Towers, Susan Dennard, Sally Ragsdale, and Margaret Towers; and 11 grandchildren. The class expresses its sympathy to his family. We were privileged to participate with them in the retirement of the clapper, which Charlie had taken from the tower of Nassau Hall.