Charles Randolph McPherson

Charles Randolph McPherson, 84, of Gainesville passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 15, 2026, due to complications related to Parkinson’s Disease.  Charlie was born on September 12, 1941 in Columbia, South Carolina, the youngest of six children to John Clarence and Sarah Kirkley McPherson.  He was raised in Columbia and was a 1959 graduate of Eau Claire High School, where he met Mary Busbee and after being friends for years, invited her to Prom beginning a lifelong love story.  Charlie was an Eagle Scout and selected as the “Best Dressed” in his senior class, due to his spiffy attire and classic style.  He attended the University of South Carolina, earning a B.S. in Business Administration in 1963. Charlie and Mary married in June of 1962 and began their life together as Charlie finished his senior year at USC.  After graduation, he accepted a position with IBM and began a career that would span 30 years, with many moves across the country working in sales and marketing. During his time at IBM, Charlie developed friendships with a special group of colleagues that would last a lifetime. After retiring from IBM in the early 1990s, he went to work for SBM/Arrow Electronics and spent another 10 years as Vice President of Sales and Marketing.  He retired in 2006 and enjoyed spending time golfing, travelling, woodworking, gardening, and spending time with family and friends – especially with his grandchildren on trips to Hilton Head Island. Charlie and Mary renewed their vows on the beach there on their 50th wedding anniversary.  He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather and friend with a kind heart and an infectious laugh that brought joy to all around him.

Charlie was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings, Mary, Ralph, Clara, John and Nancy Jo. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Mary Busbee McPherson, and his two daughters and their husbands, Lesley and Jay Gentry of Alpharetta and Linda Kay and Sean Quinn of Sugar Hill.  He is also survived by his four grandchildren, Mitchell and Katie Gentry of Atlanta, Ashley and Palmer Brasher of Atlanta, Charles Quinn and his fiancée, Melanie Grijalva, of Charleston, South Carolina, and Katie Quinn of New York, New York.  In the last few years, he was blessed to become a great grandfather to Lucy and Charlie Gentry and Claire Brasher.  He is also survived by Mary’s siblings, Kay and Bill Spence, Elizabeth and Todd Snyder, John Busbee and many nieces and nephews who loved their Uncle Charlie.

The family would like to express their gratitude to Charlie’s wonderful caregivers, Noelia Marte, Andrea Smith, Ashante Thrasher, and Ashley Dunn who allowed him to spend the last five years in the comfort of his home with Mary.  In addition, Northeast Georgia Hospice and Palliative Care provided amazing support over the last few months.

A memorial service to celebrate Charlie’s life has been planned for Saturday, March 21, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. at Memorial Park Funeral Home, 2030 Memorial Park Drive, Gainesville, Ga. 30504. Visitation will be held from 12:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m., during which time the family will receive friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Charlie’s memory may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research at give.michaeljfox.org.

Memorial Park Funeral Home, 2030 Memorial Park Drive, Gainesville, Georgia 30504 is in charge of the arrangements.

Send online condolences to memorialparkfuneralhomes.com 

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