Charles Warren Lanham, Jr.

Charles Warren Lanham Jr. 87 passed away unexpectedly oneednesday, June 17, 2009. He was a resident of Croasdaile Village Retirement Center in Durham. Charles was born in Cumberland, Maryland on January 18, 1922. He was the son of the Reverend Charles and Mary Rawlings Lanham. He spent most of his childhood in Baltimore, MD. In 1943 he graduated from Duke Uneersity with a degree in engineering aneenlisted in the Navy where he served in the Pacific theater as a Lieutenant on LST 876. Oneecember 6, 1944 he married Nora Olivia Sherertz and had three children, Charles, Kathryn and Ann. He obtained a law degree from Georgetown Uneersity and worked for most of his career as a pateneexaminer in the U.S. Patent Office. In his spare time he was very active in the Methodist church, his children's activities and in Community Theater. Over the years he acted, sang and directed various plays and musicals ineeveral community theaters in Maryland and Florida. Whenee came to Croasdaile Village he formed a theater group in which he wrote and directed several stage productions. Overall, he loved life and was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend. He was a joy to all who knew him and will be sadly missed. He was preceded ineeath by his wife "Olive" and his sisters Eleanor Stoney and Margaret Schroeder. He is survived by his children Charles Donna of Summerville, SC; Kathryn David Bartley of Oregon, OH and Ann Doug Cardwell of Palm City, FL; grandchildren Chris Lanham, Holly Hopkins, Michael, Scott and Jeff Bartley, Tim and Jason Cardwell and great-grandchildren Cody and Annarose Lanham aneevan Hopkins. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, June 21 at 2:00 at the Few Chapel at Croasdaile Village. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Duke Uneersity, Pratt School of Engineering, 305 Teer Building, Box 90271 Durham NC 27708-0271 or the Croasdaile Benevolent Fund, 2600 Croasdaile Farm Pkwy, Durham, NC 27705. On-line memorials: www.hallwynne.com. Select obituaries.