The notable career of Charles Chase Fleming came to an end on Friday, December 2, 2005, when he died at an assisted living facility in Collegedale, Tennessee.
His wife, Betty Shadel Fleming, preceded him in death in August of 2004 after 62 years of marriage. He will be interred by her side at the Collegedale Cemetery.
Chick was born on September 25, 1915, in Abbotsford, WI, one of three children of Charles and Cora Fleming. He was preceded in death by his sister, Mary, and his brother, John.
He graduated from Emanuel Missionary College (now Andrews University) in Berrien Springs, MI, in 1937, and began his MBA at Northwestern University.
Chick started his career as Business Manager of Forest Lake Academy, a Seventh-day Adventist boarding school near Orlando, FL. While there he completed his MBA at Northwestern.
In 1941 he moved to Atlanta, GA, where he became Secretary/Treasurer of the Georgia-Cumberland Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
In 1946 Chick joined Southern Missionary College (now Southern Adventist University) as General Manager for Finance and Development. His vision for creating a strong industrial program contributed immensely to the growth of the college.
In 1956 an article appeared in Reader's Digest titled "The College with a Built-In Pocketbook" that highlighted the strengths of Southern's industrial program and how the college administration was making it possible for students to work their way through school without incurring any debt.
He retired from the University in 1975 and subsequently participated in several successful business ventures. His decisions and relationships were always characterized by principles of fairness and Christian grace which, together with his well-known sense of humor, earned him a legion of friends and associates.
Chick was a member of the Chattanooga Rotary Club for more than 50 years. For decades he was active in business affairs throughout the Chattanooga area, serving as 14th President of the Better Business Bureau of Greater Chattanooga in 1979 and 1980.
In 1977 Chick received the Andrews University Alumnus of Distinction Award, in 1986 the shopping center in Collegedale was named Fleming Plaza in his honor, and in 1997 he was elected to the Georgia-Cumberland Conference Hall of Fame.
He is survived by two daughters, Karen, who lives in Atlanta with her husband, Rollin Mallernee, and Sandra Howell, who lives in Louisiana with her husband, Ralph, two grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren.
Condolences may be sent at www.heritagefh.com