Charlton Theus Quaile

Charlton Theus Quaile (64) died at home in Pittsboro, North Carolina, on November 18, 2022.

Charlie was born on August 28, 1958, in Sharon, Connecticut, to George Emerson and Will Hawkins Theus Quaile. He spent his early years living up and down the East Coast, particularly in Savannah, Georgia, where the islands and marshes of the Skidaway River furnished his boyhood adventures. He was recruited to wrestle at the University of North Carolina, where he met the love of his life, Wendy Miller. The two were married June 19, 1982. After graduation he worked as a public school science teacher, before founding Chimneys Plus, and, later, Gutter Solutions. He stewarded these businesses for thirty-two years. Charlie and Wendy continued their love for education in homeschooling their five children in rural Chatham County, North Carolina.

Charlie was a man of many loves. He relished fresh-picked sweet corn from the garden, a roaring fire of perfectly seasoned wood, the view from a roof peak, and explosions of all varieties. He appreciated a good trade: a well-swept chimney exchanged for handmade pottery or local coffee. If there was a baby at the party, Charlie would be holding her. His everyday life became family lore: lightning strikes on the roof at midnight, and baby chicks rescued from the belly of a blacksnake. He was also a formidable athlete and competitor, and those who challenged him in ping pong or tiki toss soon left the field licking their wounds.

And yet, for all his feats of strength and daring, awe-inspiring and outrageous as they were, his most enduring quality was the greatness of his heart, which loved all who came into his orbit in the name of Jesus. His family, friends, employees, customers, neighbors, children's friends, and their families, all felt seen and remembered by Charlie. The anchor of his day was his early morning prayer time and Scripture study. Out of this constant discipline came strength and vision for the day ahead, as well as an enduring model of faith for his children. He loved to care for fireplaces as the gathering point of the family home. Each hearth was an invitation to hear about the photos on the mantel, and every return visit a follow-up on spoken and unspoken prayer requests. Charlie had a remarkable impact in the lives of his employees. For many he was one of the most significant presences in their lives and played the role of father, mentor and faithful friend.

After selling Chimneys Plus, Charlie stayed on to transition his deep knowledge and love for the business to the next generation of leadership and rejoiced that his legacy of care would continue. He looked forward to spending even more time with his six beloved granddaughters. Life always seemed like an adventure to Charlie, retirement included. He did not see life growing less, but greater: “I hear the horns of Narnia calling me from the horizon, further up and further in.”

Charlie is survived by his wife of forty years, Wendy; three siblings, Anne, Emerson, and Charlotte Quaile; five children, Susanna Quaile Cover (Michael), Samuel (Erika), Joseph, Mary, and Grace; and six granddaughters, Elizabeth, Lucy, Helen, and Phoebe Cover, and Maggie Jean and Emerson Quaile.

His funeral service will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday, November 26, 2022 at the Chapel Hill Bible Church.

In addition to flowers, the family welcomes donations to Chatham Habitat for Humanity (chathamhabitat.org) or HOPE International (hopeinternational.org).