Charles Louis McBride, Sr.

Charles Louis McBride, Sr., known to family and friends as Charlie, died peacefully on November 7, 2026, at Baptist East Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. He was 87.

Charlie was born on August 15, 1939, in Port Gibson, Mississippi, the eldest son of Charles Napoleon and Vivian Hughes McBride, both of Port Gibson. He grew up in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and graduated from Carr Central High School in 1957.

After graduation, Charlie joined the U.S. Army Reserve. He completed basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, then returned to enroll at Southwestern Louisiana University (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette) on a football scholarship. After one year, he transferred to Hinds Community College in Mississippi, where he also played football. A year later, he moved on to Mississippi State University, where he became a member of the Delta-Chi Chapter of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity and earned his Bachelor of Science in business administration in January 1962.

After college, Charlie began his career as a claims adjuster with Crawford and Company. Following training in Atlanta, Georgia, he was assigned to Bristol, Tennessee, where he met Kitty Keesling, his wife of 64 years.

He later joined USF&G Insurance Company in Bristol and was transferred to Louisville, Kentucky, in 1971. In 1977, he became a claims manager with MOAC in Louisville. The company transferred him to Atlanta in 1992, where he finished his career as vice president of claims and retired in 2003. He and Kitty then returned to Louisville, where they have lived ever since.

Charlie’s military career spanned 43 years and ended with his retirement as a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. He served for many years with the 100th Division (Training), headquartered in Louisville and received numerous awards for his military service, including the Meritorious Service Medal (2d Oak Leaf Cluster). In addition to his active service as a reservist, Charlie was also an active member of the Association of the Century, where he served as association President in 2004. In 2007, Charlie was entered into the Corridor of the Century in recognition of his service in support of the association and the 100th Division.

Alongside his careers in insurance and the Army Reserve, Charlie loved football. He coached youth ball for many years, most recently as part of the Youth Seniors football program at Lyndon.

Charlie is survived by his wife, Kitty; his son, Chuck (Mary); his daughter, Kelly Liquori (Joe); and his grandchildren, Robbie Borders (Amy), Melissa Henry (Matthew), Emily Youngblood, M.D. (Wesley), and Charles Kelly (Colleen). He also leaves two great-grandchildren, Rhett and Claire Borders.

Visitation will be held at Newcomer Funeral Home, East Louisville Chapel, 235 Juneau Drive, at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, November 16th with a funeral service to follow at 11:30 a.m. Burial will follow at the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery Central in Radcliffe at 1:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in honor of Charlie to the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) Charities at moaadonate.funraise.org.