Charles Samuel Cogan

Charles Samuel Cogan of Wallace, NC passed peacefully Thursday, July 9, 2020. Charles was born to the late William and Inez Goodhue Cogan in Clinton, IN.

Charles graduated from Indiana University with a BS in Radio-TV in 1956, a pioneer in broadcast journalism's infancy.  The small-town coalminer's son lived the city life in Terre Haute, Baltimore, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.  He transitioned from TV-media to government service.  As a Community Relations Service mediator, he helped defuse tensions in racial and socio-economic hotspots.  He served as Press Secretary for Senator Charles Mathias (MD) and worked many years as a Department of Housing and Urban Development speechwriter.  Throughout his career, he employed his progressive ideologies and passion for civil rights.

Charles married the love of his life, Cynthia Cogan in Old Town Alexandria, VA in 1973 and the couple had two children.  Charles and Cynthia ultimately migrated south to River Landing in Wallace, NC where they enjoyed retired life by playing golf and volunteering.  A Hoosier to the core, his southern residency never prevented their attendance at IU events.

Charles will be loved and missed dearly by his surviving wife - Cynthia Thomas Cogan; daughter, Kelly Cogan; son, Scott Cogan; daughter-in-law, Johnna Cogan; granddaughters, Chanel Thomas and Isabelle Cogan; and sister Sally Bopp.

A celebration of life will be held in the future.  In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Wallace Rotary, Friends of the Arts, or the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) in Charles name.

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