Charles Douglas Poindexter

Charles “Charlie” Douglas Poindexter, 83, of Glade Hill, Virginia passed away unexpectedly in his sleep at his home on Smith Mountain Lake on February 4, 2026. A Franklin County native, Charlie was born to Katie Marie Ingram and Francis Schubert Poindexter in Roanoke on February 27, 1942.The son of a farmer, sawmill operator, and small business owner, Charlie was a product of his conservative, rural roots. He graduated from Franklin County High School in 1960 with athletic and academic honors. He earned a B.S. in Mathematics from the formerly known Lynchburg College in 1964, where he was the starting center and co-captain on the men’s basketball team (’61-’64), President of the Men’s Blue Key Honor Society, and recipient of the 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award. He earned an M.S. in Management from The George Washington University in 1973.Charlie’s career in the defense industry spanned three decades and culminated with his retirement from Mitre Corporation as Site Manager and Senior Principal Systems Engineer to the Directorate of Requirements for Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia. During his career, he also worked for Computer Sciences Corporation managing development of Intelligence and Command and Control computer software systems for the US Air Force; for Litton Industries, Greenbelt Space Flight Center, performing NASA satellite data processing; and, for Systems Development Corporation in Hampton and Falls Church, modernizing software development technologies and implementing online Command and Control and Intelligence systems. Charlie lived in the Washington, D.C. and Tidewater areas but also worked Department of Defense projects in Texas, Boston, New Jersey, Alaska, and other locations in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Charlie considered one of his greatest accomplishments in the defense industry to be his achievements as chief developer of automation of the Air Tasking Order (ATO), which was the daily plan for joint and allied air operations in a wartime scenario.Rearing a family in the 70’s and 80’s in Seaford, Virginia, Charlie was a member of Zion United Methodist Church where he sang in the choir, was President of the United Methodist Men, and served in many different leadership positions and on various boards and committees. Always teased about being the last in his neighborhood to put his boat into Chisman Creek in the spring, he thoroughly relished the support of his local watermen friends and neighbors for his nearly 30 years of gill netting, crab potting for blue crabs, and fishing in and around the York River in his Seabird boat, the Ella A. He was well-known in the neighborhood for always planting a large garden of corn, beans, and watermelon. Charlie was also a member of Holdcroft Hunt Club in Charles City, Virginia, for over 25 years. He served as President and Hunt Master and was well-known for responsible breeding and raising hunting beagles and hounds.No matter where or how far Charlie wandered during his professional career years, the hills and hollers of Franklin County always beckoned him home. Upon retirement from his initial career supporting our national defense, Charlie moved back home to Glade Hill in 1997 and established residence near his 1792 Poindexter family homeplace. As a small farmer, he began working the same farmland as his original Poindexter settler ancestors and began preserving the remaining log cabin on the property. He welcomed the company of friends and neighbors who regularly stopped by Charlie’s Shop to supervise his work on his Chevy pick-ups, vintage Cadillacs, John Deere tractors and assorted equipment. They made shop-talk together while attending to Foxhound companions Lucy and Dixie.Charlie was happily mending fences, harvesting hay, and running his logging and sawmilling operations when the call came for him to run for office as the Union Hall District’s representative on the Franklin County Board of Supervisors. During his eight years on the Board, among his assignments Charles served as Chairman of the Tri-County Lake Administration (TLAC), Chairman of the Roanoke River Basin Advisory Committee, vice-chairman of the West Piedmont Planning District Commission, and as the Board’s representative for the Tri-County Smith Mountain Lake Relicense Committee. He also represented the County on the Septic Studies and Grant Oversight Committee and was a member of the Virginia Association of Counties Agricultural and Environmental Steering Committee.Charlie’s greatest career honor was serving the citizens of the 9th District in the Virginia General Assembly’s House of Delegates. First elected in 2007, he represented citizens of Franklin, Henry, Patrick, Pittsylvania, and Floyd Counties for 14 years. During his legislative career, Charlie served on the Appropriations; Counties, Cities and Towns; Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources; and Finance Committees. He was vice-chairman of the State Energy and Environment Commission and served on the Board of Directors for the Roanoke Higher Education Authority and the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation. He was also a member of the Western Virginia Public Education Consortium and worked on the Roanoke River Basin Advisory Committee and the North Carolina Roanoke River Bi-State Commission.Often described as a true citizen legislator, Charlie convinced the General Assembly to utilize appropriated general fund money to widen Route 58 from two to four lanes from Stuart to near I-77 in Hillsville, including major excavation, safety improvements, and a new connection with the existing four-lane road section. Additionally, Charlie’s successful legislation included establishment of a Drug Court for Franklin County, Betterment Loans for septic system upgrades, transparency of spending by school boards, assurance of adequate water for private wells, reduced vehicle registration fees for handicapped-equipped vehicles, expansion of bio-mass materials for energy production, and protection of wood heat methods for Virginians.Charlie was a member of Crafts Church in Glade Hill where he sang tenor in the choir. Throughout the years, he served as the chairman of the board of trustees and led the administrative board, finance committee, stewardship committee, pastor parish relations committee, and others.Charlie leaves behind a legacy of impact on others but his number one priority was always family. Preceded in death by his parents, Charlie is survived by his loving wife of 37 years, Janet Beat Burkley Poindexter; sister Danna Poindexter Hayes of Glade Hill; and brother Gary Neal Poindexter (Dixie) of Hurt. Also left behind to cherish his memory and honor his legacy are his children, Sherrie Poindexter Mitchell (William), Charles Ashton Poindexter, George Brian Burkley (Sybilla), Bruce David Burkley (Peggy), Erin D’Ri Burkley Boyd (Brandon), and Adam Nolan Burkley (Rebecca). Charlie was also the proud grandfather of 10 grandchildren, William “Walker” Mitchell (Isabel) and Katie Ashton Mitchell; Bridget, Wyatt, and Cora Burkley; Amelia Burkley and Sally Burkley Harnish (Brian); Austin Boyd (Jackie) and Kasey Boyd; and, Curren Burkley. Charlie was especially devoted to his grandson and sidekick companion Walker, with whom he spent countless hours talking and tinkering in Charlie’s Shop, working in the hayfields, and traveling around the neighborhood and surrounding counties “politicking.”During Charlie’s farewell address to the House of Delegates, he stated that “leaving public service would be easy if you’ve tried to do the right thing while you’ve been here, if you’ve been true to yourself, and if you feel you’ve made an impact.” Charlie met all three conditions. The same could be said on leaving this earthly world. Well done, good and faithful servant… — Matthew 25:23.A memorial service will be held at Flora Funeral Chapel, 1:00 p.m. Thursday, February 12, 2026, with Pastor Scott Dawson officiating. The family will receive friends beginning at 11:00 a.m. prior to the service. Burial will be private at the Poindexter Family Cemetery in Glade Hill and will be held at a later date.Charlie’s family respectfully requests that, in lieu of flowers, contributions be made in his memory to Crafts Church, 30 Crafts Lane, Glade Hill, VA 24092.