I was saddened to hear about the passing of Charlie Lewis, the larger-than-life Master of Belle Meade Hunt. My first memory of Charlie was about eight years ago when Tennessee Valley had its first joint meet with Belle Meade. At the meet, during announcements, Charlie invited us all to ride up front with him but cautioned us to be careful. He said that a group from Virginia had come down the month before and four of them fell off on the first day. He smiled and said in that slow, deep Geogia drawl, “We haven’t found those ladies yet, so keep your eyes open for ‘em!”
Belle Meade Fox Hunt became a passion when Charlie moved to Thomson, Georgia. He officially served as Master of the Fox Hunt for 20 years, but he spent 50+ riding in the hunt and acting as an unofficial ambassador. His enthusiasm for the animals, the land, and the Hunt camaraderie was contagious.
Charles William Lewis, Sr, 84, beloved husband of Mrs. Trudy Eidson Lewis, of Thomson, Georgia died on April 9, 2024, at his home. He was diagnosed with glioblastoma in June 2023.
A private graveside service will be held at Westview Cemetery. A public memorial service will be held at the Belle Meade Fox Hunt Barns, 3532 Wrightsboro Road, Thomson, Georgia on May 18, 2024, at 11:00 a.m.
Charlie Lewis was born on April 5, 1940, and was raised in Trenton, SC where he could often be found working in his parent’s store, The Trenton Variety, driving the school bus, or hanging out at the Trenton jailhouse where his grandfather was the Sheriff.
After graduating from Johnston High School in SC, Charlie moved to Washington DC to attend George Washington University and to work in the fingerprint department of the FBI. He enlisted in the US Army and served in the Military Police Division at Fort Bragg and Fort Gordon.
After marrying Trudy Eidson in 1960, they moved to Aiken, SC where he was a partner at Forrest Crown Planing Mills, a wholesale lumber company. Two years later the lumber yard was destroyed by fire. This led Charlie to a job with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Division where he often went undercover and then testified against crime syndicates moving moonshine between Georgia and South Carolina.
After being badly burned during a still raid, Charlie took a job at Knox Homes in Thomson Georgia. Knox Homes became National Homes and then National Building Systems. During the almost 30 years he worked there, he held many titles including Purchasing Agent, Special Projects Manager, General Manager, Vice President, and finally President of Southeastern Division.
Charlie became a licensed auctioneer and appraiser while working for National Building Systems. He was one of the longest-active appraisers in the state of Georgia. He earned his real estate license and then developed, built, and managed many apartment buildings and rental homes around the CSRA. The Greater Augusta Association of Realtors recently honored him as both an original and one of the longest active members of their organization. His company, Carriage Lane Realty, Appraisals and Auction still has its office in the Carriage Lane Shopping Center which he built.
In the Augusta area, Charlie opened six locations of Crack Shot Pawn Shops. He was considered an expert in firearm appraisals as well as real estate appraisals, often testifying for the GBI and in eminent domain and tax appeals.
With the late James Wilson, Jr, he built The White Columns Inn in Covington, GA. He also helped organize several local community banks including McDuffie Bank & Trust and Citizens Bank & Trust.
Charlie had a lifelong interest in developing woodlands and farms. His dedication to saving and improving Georgia’s countryside earned him the Outstanding Conservation Farmer in 1986.
In 2015 Senator Bill Jackson awarded Charlie with a Resolution for his “high ideals, morals and deep concern for his fellow citizens; and the example he has made of his life.”
Charlie was a benefactor of many local organizations including the Belle Meade Hunt scholarship for First Responder’s children, the Belle Meade Hunt Foundation, and the Chuck Lewis Memorial Fund at the First United Methodist Church. One of his and Trudy’s favorite events to host at their home was the Wounded Warrior Fishing tournament. For over a decade, active and retired servicemen were invited with their families and caregivers for a day of fishing and relaxation. “It was a way to say thank you to the men and women who serve our country.”
Charlie was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Kathryn Lewis, his son Charles W. Lewis, Jr. (Chuck), his brother and sister-in-law, Larry and Sue Lewis, and his nephew Chip Lewis.
He is survived by his wife Trudy Eidson Lewis, his daughter Kathryn Lewis (husband Stacy Schultz), and his grandchildren, Frances and Geb Schultz.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in his name may be made to the Belle Meade Foundation at PO Box 60, Thomson GA 30824, or to the church he and his family attended, Ebenezer Baptist Church, 275 Samuel E. Diggs Rd, Trenton, SC 29847.
