Mr. "Zeus" Charles Edward Stevens

Zeus (Charles Edward) Stevens, a man who lived up to the greatness of his name, died on Saturday, July 29, 2023, in Seneca, SC, just as his wife, daughter, grandsons, and son-in-law finished singing him their rendition of “Look for the Silver Lining,” Adding one last feather to his cap, Zeus is now the Cottingham Hospice House record-holder for fastest turnaround time (1.5 hours from entry to “exit”). Zeus adored growing up in Hammondsport, NY, with his father, the town physician, his mother, and his younger twin sisters. He was a proud member of the Class of 1953 at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. At Andover, Zeus made lifelong friends, played football and lacrosse, and earned his immortal nickname. Perhaps his greatest glory while there was Andover’s TROUNCING of Exeter (59-0) during the fall of his senior year. At Dartmouth College, in addition to more football and lacrosse, Zeus excelled at socializing, so much so that after two years, he joined the Army for a three-year stint. He was selected to study Russian at the US Department of Defense Language Institute in Monterrey, CA, and was then stationed in Japan where he intercepted and translated Russian communications. A more mature version of himself then returned to Dartmouth for a strong finish. After starting out in sales for Procter and Gamble and then the Glendinning Companies, Zeus discovered his calling. He earned a Masters in Health Administration at Trinity University in Texas and subsequently enjoyed a career as a hospital CEO and as an administrator for the Joint Commission of Hospital Accreditation. Upon retirement in 1999, he moved to Lake Keowee in Salem, SC, where he stayed until the end. Zeus had the tremendous fortune of meeting Peggy Hatcher in 1962, and they married on June 29, 1963. They had two children, Amie and Steve (Charles Edward Stevens, Jr.). Peggy and Zeus made marriage look easy. They truly enjoyed all the time they spent together and were especially grateful to have celebrated their 60th anniversary on June 29, exactly one month before Zeus died. Zeus was a role model for the best reasons. He loved people and looked only for connections and commonalities with others. He remembered everyone’s name. He never saw a piece of garbage he didn’t try to capture and rehome appropriately, often at his peril. He was always content with what he had and made the best of every situation, even throughout his five years of cancer treatment. Zeus would want all of his Andover friends, his Dartmouth friends, his Keowee Key tennis and softball friends, the Friends of Lake Keowee Society (FOLKS), the Key Koraliers, his neighbors on Southpoint, and everyone he worked and played with to know how much their presence contributed to the fullness and richness of his exceptional life. He will be so missed by those he leaves behind: his wife, Peggy Stevens; his daughter, son-in-law, and their sons, Amie, Bill, Will, Matt, and Jake Schwartz; his son, grandson, and great-grandson, Steve, Clay (Kara), and Shep Stevens; his twin sisters, Nancy (Joe) Tuttle and Suzanne (Dave) Grant; and his brother-in-law, Bob (Maggie) Hatcher. A memorial service will take place on Saturday, August, 5, at 2:00 p.m. (hors d'oeuvres and drinks to follow) in the Keowee Room at the Keowee Key Club in Salem, SC. Cheerful and casual attire! Anyone who wishes to honor Zeus is welcome to make a donation to FOLKS (Friends of Lake Keowee Society) or to the Prisma Health Cancer Institute–Seneca. The lake fed his soul for the 24 years he lived on it, and the Cancer “Spa” was so much more than a hospital to both Zeus and Peggy while he fought his cancer. Thank you to everyone who made Zeus’s life such a special one.

Mr. "Zeus" Charles Edward Stevens

July 30, 1935 - July 29, 2023