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Dr. Charles E. Rockwood, 93, a resident of Westminster Oaks, Tallahassee, Florida, died peacefully on Thursday, June 26, 2025. He was very devoted to his late wife of 54 years, Persis E Rockwood, who passed away on May 31, 2021. Their community involvement and philanthropy were well known and was a major part of their lives together in the Tallahassee Community. Dr. Rockwood was born May 21, 1932, to Dr. George Herbert Rockwood, Jr. and Ruth Humiston Rockwood in Oak Park, Illinois but spent much of his childhood in Orange, New Jersey. He was the oldest of three children. His father died while Charlie was in high school, which had a significant impact as his mother raised and supported the three children. Charlie received his undergraduate degree from University of Illinois (Go fighting Illini!) and his master’s and doctoral degrees from Case-Western and Indiana Universities. His first appointment as professor was in 1960 to the business school at Florida State University, which happens to be where he and Persis met and later married and remained until their passings. He taught mostly economics while at FSU until his retirement in 1995. His years at FSU were spent enhancing the lives of students and challenging them to become business leaders or entrepreneurs and he thoroughly loved keeping up with them, following them and supporting many financially in the companies they either lead or founded. Also, during his professional career, he was engaged in many different areas including publishing, writing articles (on such things as macroeconomics, tax policy and social economics), testimony before Congress, the Florida Legislature and served as Chairman for Governor Bob Graham’s Economic Advisory Committee. Their lives were committed to FSU and the Tallahassee Community and during their retirement years, the Rockwood’s continued to support FSU financially with their philanthropic contributions. Some of these included donations to the FSU Opperman Music Hall for the one-of-a-kind pipe organ, which is approaching installation, as well as prior contributions to the Rockwood Undergraduate Programs Suite in Legacy Hall and other scholarship-based programs. In 2022, Charlie established at FSU the Dr. Persis E. Rockwood School of Marketing, in honor and recognition of his beloved wife. This naming was the first ever marketing program named for a woman and is only the second named school of marketing in the country. For those that knew Charlie, Rotary was a special organization for him. He was committed to its mission and purpose and enjoyed the “weekly fix” of meetings and the lifelong relationships that enriched his life. He served as President for Rotary Club of Tallahassee multiple times and Northside Rotary, as well as served as District Governor for Northwest Florida for Rotary International. He was a major donor to The Rotary Foundation and was recognized by the local Chapter in April 2025, having received the Key to the City of Tallahassee from its Mayor. Furthermore, he was one of the original founders of Rotary Youth Camps in Gadsden County, serving handicapped and disadvantaged youth, of which the camp is named after him. While in retirement, he thoroughly enjoyed his various farms, farming operations and his many farming friends and initial farming business partners, Sabrina and Bill McMillian. His various farms started with The Shade Farm in Gadsden County and moved on to others in southwest Georgia. He always enjoyed his pickup truck and trips or days in the woods to check on the cotton, corn, peanuts and pine trees but Charlie truly enjoyed his fall or winter days hunting quail and walking behind his dogs, especially Tiny! Charlie was predeceased in death by his parents, George and Ruth Rockwood, his wife of 54-years Dr. Persis Emmett Rockwood, sisters Nancy Haigh and Alice Bethke. He is survived by his sisters’ children; nieces Jennifer Bethke, Audrey Bethke, Joanne Coury and nephew Jack Haigh, Jr. and Persis nieces, Kate Emmett Sweetser and Audrey Emmit and their long-time housekeeper, Liz Hasty. Charlie was a member of both Trinity United Methodist Church in Tallahassee as well as his beloved Centenary United Methodist Church in Quincy. A celebration of life will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church of Tallahassee on Thursday, October 9, 2025 at 3:00pm. He will be interred in Green Mountain Cemetery in Boulder, Colorado. Memorial contributions to the Charles & Persis Rockwood Endowed Fund in Music (F07497) at FSU are strongly encouraged in lieu of any flowers. Breanna Green of Bevis Funeral Home (850-385-2193 or www.bevisfh.com) is assisting with arrangements.

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Dr. Charles E. Rockwood

May 21, 1932 - June 26, 2025