Charles E. Warwick, Sr. of Urbana passed away on Friday February 26 after a brief illness at the Central Illinois Regional Rehab Center. He was 83. Mr. Warwick served as Principal at Minonk, Dana, Rutland High School from 1953 to 1957.


Mr. Warwick was born on April 27, 1926 in Keokuk, Iowa to Margaret Aldrich and Charles Earl Warwick. He was married to Betty Lou Marshall of Keokuk on June 27, 1948, she survives. He has four children: Susan Fisher of Delaware, OH, Joyce of Urbana, Mark of Homer, and Charles, Jr. in Champaign. Mr. Warwick has 12 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren, and 1 great, great granddaughter. He is survived by his sister Elizabeth Norton of Burnsville, MN.

Mr. Warwick was Director Emeritus of the U of I Office of International Student Affairs from which he retired in 1988. His prior UI positions include Director of Admission and Records and positions with the Dean of Students office and the UI Foundation. He was also Assistant Dean in Charge of Fraternities at Cornell University. Warwick earned his EdD and MS at the U of I and a BS at The University of Oklahoma after transferring from Knox College. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta at Knox and played on the college's tennis team. Mr. Warwick graduated from Canton High School, Canton, IL in 1944. He served in the US Navy in the Pacific Theater from 1944-1946. In the navy he received a commendation from his commander for simplifying the decipherment of radio codes received from other vessels.

After retiring Mr. Warwick was active in his church as an adult Sunday School teacher. He worked part time for the Refugee Center in Urbana and as a patient advocate at Carle Hospital. He was a mentor for at-risk students at Urbana Middle School. His favorite hobby was creative writing. He published short character sketches in local and regional newspapers and magazines and authored a nonfiction book about his family's experiences operating a student boarding house in the 1950s.

A memorial service was held March 4 at the First Baptist Church of Savoy at 2 p.m. Visitation followed the service.

The family kindly requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the International Student Scholar Services. Please make checks payable to:

University of Illinois Foundation Gift Processing Dept. 1305 W. Green St. Urbana, IL 61801

On the memo line of the check, please specify that the gift is being made in honor of Charles Warwick, Sr.