Posted by Terry Powers on January 9, 2023:

CHARLES W. OLIVER 1949 Cullum No. 17176-1949 | November 2, 2017 | Died in Sterling, VA Cremated. Interred in Arlington National Cemetery, VA Charles Whitney "Charlie" Oliver, as he so humbly chose to be called, was born to Lucille Macwilliam and Walter Marion Oliver in Perth Amboy, NJ. At age nine his father introduced him to tennis on a dirt court in the backyard, and he soon became one of the top junior players in the United States. An exemplary student, he became president of his high school class and lettered twice in basketball. During those formative years, he also defeated three Wimbledon champions and won several U.S. Championships. Charlie was one of the top tennis players in the United States from the time he was a freshman in high school and throughout his tenure at the United States Military Academy (1946-49), where he was chosen captain of the tennis team, which beat Navy for four consecutive years! His leadership skills at West Point also called on him to be the commander of his company, E-1. Charlie graduated from West Point in 1949 and joined the newly created U.S. Air Force. He married Ethel Spaulding of Norfolk, VA that December, and the couple left for his first duty assignment at the Air Force Supply Depot in Shelby, OH, where his first job was to distribute the new, blue Air Force uniforms worldwide! A son and daughter were born there, and he was promoted. The new first lieutenant served in the Korean War in Okinawa, Japan from 1951 to 1953 and as head of ROTC at the University of Pennsylvania, 1954-58, when he was assigned to the USAF Academy, where he was the tennis coach and assistant head of the Department of Physical Education until 1963. He was the chief of staff for the Commander of USAF/Europe in Wiesbaden, Germany until 1966, when he returned for many years to Colorado as the Master of the Sword and deputy director of athletics at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he helped establish the permanent U.S. Olympic Training Station. He also hired the first woman coach to serve at the Air Force Academy, former swimming coach Mickey King. During his tours there, he continued to play and win tennis matches, including the Air Force Championship in 1961 over all U.S. service teams. In the early 60s, he also played an amazing exhibition match in Colorado Springs against Pancho Gonzalez, the world champion. Charlie lost in the third set, 15-13. I witnessed this as a ball boy. He retired from the Air Force in 1974 after 26 years and with seven distinguished service decorations, including the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star. He held a B.S. in engineering, attended the Wharton School, and received a master's degree in physical education at Columbia University and a doctorate from the University of Northern Colorado. Charlie went on to serve for many years as a revered tennis professional at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, where he coached and mentored tennis pro Lisa Raymond. He was a member of the U.S. Senior Davis Cup Team and was inducted into Halls of Fame at Perth Amboy High School, West Point, and the USTA Middle States. He and Ethel lived for 20 years in Seven Lakes, NC, where he continued to play tennis, winning the USTA Men's Senior 50-Plus Championship twice, in singles and doubles (with partner Bill Tully). He also enjoyed golf and boating. He passed unexpectedly on November 2, 2017 at Falcons Landing in Potomac Falls, VA, where "Coach" Charlie had continued to teach tennis to residents for the last four years. He is survived by his beloved wife, Ethel, of Falcons Landing; a sister, Mary Mikula of Seven Lakes, NC; five children: Charles W. Jr., Fairfax, VA; Deborah Bress and husband Rick, Great Falls, VA; Laura Woolery and husband Chuck, Rockville, MD; Amy Oliver, Atlanta, GA; and Linda Stanko and husband Paul, Pottstown, PA; 12 grandchildren: Jennifer Lynn Bress, Atlanta; Skyler Fae Bress and husband Jack Madsen, Herndon, VA; Trebhan Morrow Oliver and wife Rachel, New York, NY; Tauna Rose Woolery, Missoula, MT; Patricia Shea Brown and husband Daniel, Marietta, GA; Jake Oliver Woolery, Rockville, MD; Paul John Stanko Jr., Atlanta; Tara Frances Oliver, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Emily Caitlyn Bress, Raleigh, NC; Max Carter Bress, Great Falls, VA; Charles W. Oliver III, Fairfax; and Alexandra Louise Oliver, Atlanta; seven great-grandchildren, including Victor Oliver (son of Trey and Rachel), the first male descendant to carry the Oliver name since 1995; and his sisters Shaela Rose and Fiora Oliver, Chloe Beau and sister Audrey Ember Madsen, Sutton Lee Brown and sister Willa Shea. Charlie, a gentle man, was known for a wry sense of humor and an adoration for his progeny. His memory will surely live on in all our hearts as long as there is stardust. See you down range, Dad-Game, Set, Match!

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