Charles Evans Amos, 76, of Christiansburg died, Friday, April 7, 2017, at his home after a long hard-fought and courageous battle with Throat cancer.
Charles Evans Amos, 76, of Christiansburg died, Friday, April 7, 2017, at his home after a long hard-fought and courageous battle with Throat cancer.
He is survived by his younger brother, Bruce M. Amos, of Georgia and his three daughters and sons-in-law, Angela M. Plackis (Tom) of North Carolina, Lori R. Hill (Christopher) of Tennessee and Melissa Wilson of Florida; grandchildren, Erik, Megan, Destiny, great-grandchild, Mariah, his friend and recent caregiver, Bessie Holtzman, her family and many friends in Indiana and Virginia.
He was born in Wilmington, DE to the late John M Amos and Edna M Amos on June, 2, 1940 but moved to Blacksburg when he was a child, graduated from Blacksburg High School in 1958 and moved to Indianapolis, IN where he was employed as a machinist at the Ford Motor Company for 34 years.
He had a passion for scuba diving and was a member of the 1st USA branch of the British Sub Aqua Club.
He was a dive instructor for the club and traveled to many exotic destinations, explored ship wrecks in the Great Lakes and enjoyed underwater photography. He also had opportunities to assist the Indianapolis Police Department with search and recovery. His scuba friends fondly called him “Charlie Tuna”.
He returned to Blacksburg after retiring and was a faithful member of Blacksburg Presbyterian Church, where he was an active part of Men of the Church and of the Woodchucks, meeting with them weekly to cut and deliver wood to families who would otherwise be without heat. Charles donated a hydraulic splitter, kept it oiled and in good working order, and loved to operate it, ensuring that many homes of the poor in Montgomery County were warmed in our cold winters.
He also participated in church mission trips to the inner city of Chicago, where as part of Good News Partners he assisted families by repairing and painting rundown apartments.
In addition, he was a lifetime member of the NRA, enjoyed target shooting, was passionate about gun safety/education and shared his knowledge and expertise with many, including the local Boy Scouts.
A Memorial Service will be held on June 2, 2017 at the Blacksburg Presbyterian Church at 3 p.m. with visitation at 2:00 pm A reception following the service will be provided by members of the church.
Arrangements were made by McCoy Funeral Home.