Charles Boal Ewing, Jr.

Charles B. Ewing, businessman, engineer, developer, and builder of the first large corporate office building in Tyson's Corner, died peacefully at his home in Longboat Key Florida on September 7, 2016, with his wife by his side. Mr. Ewing was a co-founder of West Group, a private real estate developer, general contractor, and property management firm that developed projects in Fairfax and Montgomery Counties, including one third of Tyson's Corner land area, and was active in transportation issues affecting the region. West Group developed and constructed, under Mr. Ewing's direction, over six million square feet of commercial, retail, and residential space including the Freddie Mac campus in Westpark Office Park. In 1962, Mr. Ewing organized a firm to construct and lease a 150,000 SF building in Tyson' Corner to Research Analysis Corporation, a Department of the Army "think tank" whose chairman was General of the Army Omar Bradley. The building, at the junction of the Beltway and the Dulles Access Road, was occupied in December 1963 just as those roads were completed. Mr. Ewing was born in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, attended the Sullivan School in Washington, DC, was graduated from the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York in 1951, and commissioned in the Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army. He served in the Korean War as a combat engineer in the 2nd Infantry Division and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. He was then assigned to Camp Fuji, Japan, in charge of engineering and construction of troop housing, recreational facilities, roads and utilities for occupancy by a U. S. Marine division. His next assignment was to the Chicago Engineer District as Resident Engineer supervising the construction of a Nike antiaircraft missile installation. He attended Iowa State University and received a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering. He attended the Airborne Course at the Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia, receiving the Parachutist's Badge, then was graduated from the Engineer Officer's Advanced Class at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Mr. Ewing was assigned to Germany and served in the 23rd Armored Engineer Battalion, Third Armored Division, and as Operations Officer of the 801st Heavy Construction Battalion, and Operations Officer of the 928th Heavy Construction Group. Mr. Ewing resigned his commission as a regular Army captain in 1960 to attend Harvard Business School and received his M.B.A. in 1962, accepting a position with Atlantic Research Corporation, Alexandria, Virginia. He subsequently joined Thomas Nicholson, Gerald Halpin, and Rudolph Seeley as co-founders of West Group. Mr. Ewing was a founder of Tysons Transportation Association (TYTRAN) the first public-private transportation association in the country and a charter member of the Washington Airports Task Force originally organized to increase the use of Dulles Airport. He served as a director or trustee of World Resources Corporation, the National Bank of Fairfax, Aviation Facilities Company, Health Enterprise Corporation (Chairman), Inova Health System (Vice Chairman), Inova Health System Foundation (Chairman), the Lab School of Washington, West Point Association of Graduates, McLean Community Foundation (charter trustee) and the Fairfax County Tyson's Corner Task Force. As Treasurer of his West Point Class, Mr. Ewing organized and administered a fund raising campaign enabling his class to endow the Class of 1951 Chair of Leadership, the Class of 1951 Distinguished Lecture Series and the Class of 1951 Distinguished Graduate Award program at West Point. Mr. Ewing personally endowed the Charles Boal Ewing '27 Chair in the West Point Department of History to honor his father. With his wife, Betty, he endowed the Forensic Assessment and Consultation Team (FACT) program at Inova Health System and the Service Excellence program and Bone Health Fellowship at Children's National Medical Center in Washington. Sarasota Memorial Hospital was also one of their many philanthropic interests. He was a member of the Chevy Chase Club, the Tower Club, the Forest Lake Club, the Harvard Club of New York City, the Tuckers Point Club, the Longboat Key Club, Sarasota Yacht Club, and All Saints Episcopal Church of Chevy Chase, Maryland. In 1951, Mr. Ewing married Roxanne Slater Ewing who died in 1960. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Betty Gaines Ewing, their three children John Charles Ewing (Ruanne) of McLean, Virginia, Cynthia Ewing Miller (Donald) of Tiburon, California, and Sarah Ewing Sagarese (Mark) of McLean, Virginia; and six grandchildren Aja, Christopher, Rosemary, Margaret, Isabella, and John; and his sister, Judith Ewing Geggis.

Tributes

Charles Boal Ewing, Jr.

April 16, 1930 - September 7, 2016