Charles Stover Fletcher, Jr., 85 of Bryan passed away peacefully on the morning of May 6, 2014 at Hospice Brazos Valley after a brief illness.

A memorial service will be held at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, in College Station, on Thursday, May 15th, 2014 at 7:30 PM.

Charles was born on July 18, 1928 in Hollidaysburg, PA to Lillie May Hughes and Charles Stover Fletcher, Sr. as the second of three children.

Charles joined the US Army in June 1946. During his first 4-year enlistment he served in Japan. In 1950 he reenlisted and subsequently learned Hungarian at the Army Language School in Monterrey, CA. He was stationed in Europe during this second enlistment. He left the Regular Army in July of 1954 as a Master Sargent but served as an Army Civilian in Europe until June 1955. Quoting a letter of appreciation from the Army: “Your mature leadership, irreproachable character and intellectual prowess have provided an outstanding example for the Army personnel working with you.”

Charles studied Anthropology at Pennsylvania State University and received a BA in 1960 and an MA in 1963. He studied toward a PhD (A.B.D.) at Tulane in New Orleans, LA in Anthropology with an emphasis in Archaeology. Through the 1960s and 70s he taught at Penn State, Vanderbilt, Tulane, State University of New York at Buffalo and Alfred State College where he was a tenured Assistant Professor of Anthropology. Finally he taught at Texas A&M for several years in the 1980s.

He did extensive archaeological field work and research in Mexico starting in 1959 and into the 1970s, during which time he made many close friendships which last to this day.

Charles was married to Rhoda D. Segur from 1961 to 1978 and had three children. Charles married Dr. Katherine Coles Richards in 1978 and they lived in Bryan from 1979 onward. Katherine passed away in 2005 and was deeply missed.

Charles was always active and working on projects or with organizations. His life-long passion for all things mechanical was best expressed in his motorcycles, which he rode daily until recently. He owned/operated a gas station and mechanic business in Hollidaysburg in the 1950s, and he was a Free Mason in Altoona, PA. He did archaeological consulting in New York and Texas in the 1970s and 1980s. He did renovation and woodworking in B/CS in the 1980s. He volunteered at St. Michael’s Episcopal School in Bryan, teaching math and giving other help over the years.

Charles spoke 6 languages over the course of his life and had a remarkable vocabulary and sense of humor, particularly in English and Spanish. He read widely and deeply on many topics, including politics, current events, history, science, and medicine, among others. His remarkable intellect remained as sharp as ever until the end of his life.

He was a loving son, brother, husband and father. He will be deeply missed.

He is survived by his three children Cris “Susi” Labyer, Leah Fletcher and Dan Fletcher; four grandchildren Jane Labyer, Sabine Fletcher, Eleanor Fletcher and Patrick Fletcher; his younger sister Mrs. Mary Esther Kitner of Baltimore, Md., and numerous other relatives.

Please send donations to Hospice Brazos Valley (www.hospicebrazosvalley.org) in lieu of flowers.

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