Charles G. Beemer

Charles Gordon (Chuck) Beemer, of Waynesville, N.C., died peacefully on July 31, 2025. He was 85.

Chuck was born on May 30, 1940 in Crawfordsville, Indiana to Julia and Gordon Beemer. He was the valedictorian of his class at Crawfordsville High School in 1958. Chuck studied at Wesleyan University before graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Colorado College in 1962, where he was a member of the golf team and Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He earned an M.A. in History from the University of Wisconsin in 1964 and completed further study towards a Ph.D. in History at Northwestern University. He received a J.D. from the University of North Carolina in 1974. Chuck practiced law for twenty-three years in Chapel Hill, N.C. at Beemer, Savery & Hadler, PA (now Beemer Hadler & Willett, PA). After Chuck and his wife Nancy moved to Waynesville, N.C. in 1997, Chuck had a successful solo law practice for nine years before he retired in 2006.

During retirement, Chuck fulfilled a lifelong dream to write a book about a historical figure from his hometown, Civil War Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace, who is best known as the author of the novel Ben-Hur. After several years of meticulous research, Chuck examined Wallace’s controversial command at the Battle of Shiloh in his book My Greatest Quarrel with Fortune: Major General Lew Wallace in the West, 1861-1862, which was published by The Kent State University Press in 2015. He also served as a Deacon at Hazelwood Baptist Church in Waynesville, the Program Chair for the Western North Carolina Civil War Roundtable, and a member of the Scholars Board at the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum in Crawfordsville.

Chuck will be remembered as being smart, hard working, generous, and kind. He enjoyed watching the Indiana Hoosiers play basketball, the Chicago Cubs, and golf. He was proud of his grandchildren, Luke and Cate, and all of their accomplishments. He loved listening to Nancy play the piano and organ. He was a lover of reading and travel. He enjoyed meeting and entertaining people. He was happiest when he was in the presence of his family and friends.

Chuck was preceded in death by his wife of 32 years, Nancy Dolwick Beemer, and daughter, Jennifer Lynn Beemer. He is survived by his wife, Shirley Beemer; son Jeff (Catherine) Beemer of Nashville, TN; grandchildren Luke Beemer and Cate Beemer; brother Michael Beemer of Evanston, IL; nieces Leslie (Steve) Wegner of Los Gatos, CA and Kathleen (Kurt) Stevens of Chicago, IL; nephew Robert (Julie) Beemer of Sherman Oaks, CA; and stepdaughters Carolyn Fountaine of Atlanta, GA and Terri (John) Downing of Maggie Valley, N.C.

A visitation for Chuck will be held on Tuesday, August 5, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. EDT at Hazelwood Baptist Church in Waynesville. A funeral service will follow at noon with Dr. Mike Odom officiating. A graveside service will follow at Garrett-Hillcrest Cemetery in Waynesville. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that gifts in memory of Chuck be made to Hazelwood Baptist Church, 65 Hazelwood Avenue, Waynesville, NC 28786.

The care of Mr. Beemer has been entrusted to Wells Funeral Home of Waynesville.