Charles E. “Charlie” Polhamus Jr., 83, of Fitzgerald, Georgia, died Thursday, November 5, 2026, at his residence, surrounded by family.
Funeral services will be held 2 PM, Thursday, November 12, 2026, at the Paulk Funeral Home Chapel with friends and family speaking. Interment will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery with military honors. The family will receive friends from 1 PM until the service hour at the funeral home.
Charlie was born September 1, 1943, in Winchester, Virginia, to the late Charles Earle Polhamus, Sr. and Turessa Mae Kitchen Fox. He received an Associate’s degree in Exercise Science from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and served honorably in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War era. Charlie’s passion was Pole Vaulting. He holds 2 World Records as a Master Pole Vaulter and has coached hundreds of children across the United States. In 1961 he was a Virginia State Champion Pole Vaulter and in 2010 he was inducted into the Virginia Athletic Hall of Fame. Charlie also had a passion for golfing. For 15 years, he and his son Toby competed and placed 1st in their divisions in a National Father/Son Tournament held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. During his spare time, he held an instrumental role in establishing the soccer program and the special Olympics program for the Ben Hill County Recreational Department. Charlie was a member of Arbor Baptist Church.
He is survived by his wife, Debbie Kennedy Polhamus; children: Toby Polhamus, Marcee Gray and Annie Brown & Sebastian; grandchildren: Drew Polhamus, Kennedy Polhamus, Colt Gray, Jenni Gray, Coley Gray, Oliver Brown, Mollie Brown and Stella Brown; great grandchildren: Luke Polhamus and Lily Polhamus; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his infant twins: a son, Nicholas Tod Polhamus and a daughter, Kendy Mae Polhamus and a brother, Thomas Polhamus.
Paulk Funeral Home, Fitzgerald, is in charge of arrangements.