Charles van Zandt, III

Charles van Zandt, age 78, a resident of Columbia, Tennessee, passed away on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at Life Care Center.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, March 29, 2026, at 3:00 PM at Heritage Funeral Home with Jimmy Elliott officiating. A visitation will also be held on March 29th from 2:00 – 3:00 PM at the funeral home. Following the service, he will be laid to rest in Rose Hill Cemetery.

Born on January 29, 1948, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Charles was the son of the late Charles van Zandt, Jr. and the late Suzanne Sears van Zandt. He dedicated more than thirty years of service to Johnson Controls in Pulaski, Tennessee before retiring. Following his retirement, he continued working for another ten years at ACE Hardware.

Charles was deeply involved in volunteer work and community fundraising. He served as a coordinator for the Special Olympics in Pulaski, Tennessee, where he helped organize, plan, and build many of the activities for participants. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge in Kirksville, Missouri and proudly served as a Shriner’s Clown. Charles was a reserve police officer in Missouri and involved in the Boy Scouts of America in Pulaski, Tennessee. He was also active in the Kiwanis Club and Civitan organizations in Pulaski. In his spare time, he enjoyed carpentry and was a talented woodworker. Charles was of the Christian faith.

He is survived by his wife, Julie van Zandt, sons, Charles van Zandt, IV of Iowa, Chad (Wendy) van Zandt of Missouri, Zachary van Zandt of Alabama, step children, Joyce (Brian) Cooper of Tennessee, Van (Marlina) Ervin of Tennessee, brother, Marc (Chun) van Zandt of Minnesota, nine step grandchildren, and thirteen step great grandchildren.

The family wishes to extend a very special thank you to Dr. Ledbetter, Dr. Pinkston, and the staff of Life Care Center for their excellent care for Charles.

Heritage Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.