Charles Dudley Meadows died July 1 at Alexian Village, Signal Mountain.
Dudley was born December 29, 1923, in Gaffney, SC, to Janice McAfee Meadows of Dalton, GA, and Charles Dennis Meadows of Maysville, KY. He had two much older stepbrothers, Bill and Tom Meadows, from his father’s first marriage. His earliest years were spent in Elizabethton, NC.
Following his father’s death, he and his mother moved to live with her parents in Dalton. There he grew up in his grandparents’ house, graduating from Dalton High School, where his mother was a teacher. After a year at Little Emory in Oxford, GA, he transferred to UT in Knoxville, there meeting Marguerite Gillespie, his future wife and lifelong partner. They married in June 1945.
After university, Dudley and Marguerite moved to Oak Ridge, working in the war effort, and there had their two children. When Dudley began working in sales for Dictaphone, the young family moved first to Birmingham and a few years later to Chattanooga, where they took up residence in Signal Mountain. Their lives were soon woven into the small community. They joined Signal Mtn Presbyterian Church and Signal Mtn Golf and Country Club; this marked the beginning of Dudley’s lifelong devotion to the game. In 1967 the family moved to Atlanta for Dudley’s work, living in Sandy Springs until retirement in 1988, when Dudley and Marguerite moved back to Signal Mtn and found themselves once again involved in the community, the church and the country club. Dudley also joined the Lions, which suited his generous nature and penchant for service.
They began to travel, first on tours as companions to Dudley’s cousin, Bishop William R. Cannon, and later on their own, with their children or with Marguerite’s brothers and in-laws. In this way they managed to see much of America and the world.
In 2002 Dudley and Marguerite moved into the Brow View apartments at Alexian Village and further expanded their circle of friends. This setting particularly suited Dudley’s outgoing personality and he was soon involved in the daily life of the village. He served several years as president of Brow View, took new residents on tours of the mountain, performed in – and later mounted – productions in the Alexian Town Hall, managed a small fleet of powerchairs for residents in need, and served as booking agent for the Brow View social room. He continued golfing, now as a member of the Hackers and Whackers, and he also began playing pool with fellow residents.
Dudley was an inveterate tinkerer and developed several practical gadgets, including one – a flexible pruning saw – that he carried through to patent. In his later years he perfected his favorite egg-and-sausage breakfast dish and briefly managed to get ‘The Dudley’ onto the menu at the Alexian Village grill. He took great pleasure in numerous cups of coffee during the day and a toddy (Jamesons) in the afternoon, especially shared with friends. He loved his children and his grandson and encouraged them to follow their own paths, and he absolutely doted on his great-granddaughter.
In his final 18 months, Dudley underwent treatment for cancer and facial paralysis. Throughout this trying period he was tenderly cared for by his son, who served as his caregiver, chauffeur and companion.
Dudley will be remembered for his devotion to his family, his kindness and consideration for others and his inquisitive and inventive mind. He is mourned by his son Charles Dudley, Jr, of Little Rock, his daughter Janice Meadows and her husband Malcolm Green, of Hamilton, NZ, and his grandson Charles Dudley Meadows, III, and great-granddaughter Cora Evelyn Meadows, both of Oak Park, Chicago. ‘Uncle Dud’ will also be sadly missed by a host of nephews and nieces and their children and grandchildren. He is predeceased by his wife Marguerite; they celebrated their 74th wedding anniversary in June 2019, shortly before her death.
Dudley’s ashes will be placed with Marguerite’s in West Hill Cemetery in Dalton. A memorial service will be held some time in the future when Janice and Malcolm are able to travel from New Zealand.
Please share your thoughts and memories at www.chattanooganorthchapel.com.