Charles A. Brown woke up every morning with the same purpose in mind.

“He wanted to help as many young people as he could,” said Pauline Brown, his wife of 48 years.

“He was an exceptional man, very loving and caring. He would give you the shirt off his back,” she added.

Chief among his passions, Mr. Brown loved to mentor young people. He earned recognition for doing so, she said, including his most prized — the William H. Spurgeon III Award from the Boy Scouts of America in 1993. Mr. Brown served on the scouting organization’s board.

He also served in the military, was active in church, belonged to many civic engagement groups and was a trailblazer in the corporate world.

He joined Virginia Power Co. in 1982. Ten years later, Mr. Brown was named vice president of the electric utility company’s central division, becoming the first African-American to reach that level within the company. He was over procurement.

Mr. Brown is being remembered following his death Dec. 12, 2015, in Richmond. He was 73.

His friends and family will celebrate his life at a funeral service 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18, at Chamberlayne Heights United Methodist Church, 6100 Chamberlayne Road, in Henrico County.

A memorial service also will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, at the church.

Mr. Brown was born Aug. 20, 1942, in rural Holly Hill, S.C. He used education as a springboard to excellence.

In 1961, he attended South Carolina State College (now university), where he studied mechanical engineering and technology. He was a natural leader in college as evidenced by his election as class president, president of the campus chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, ROTC drill team leader and Distinguished Military Student nominee.

He also met his future wife, Pauline Lott, at a dance in 1964 at South Carolina State, where she was a member of the Miss ROTC Homecoming Court.

Mr. Brown served in the Army from 1965 through 1968 and was captain of the Army Air Defense Command, 2D Region. He commanded a nuclear missile site and received a plethora of medals and honors for his service.

The Browns married in 1967 and moved to Richmond in 1982, where they raised their daughters, Ina and Joanna, in their North Side home.

In 1987, Mr. Brown went back to school to earn a graduate degree from the Colgate Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia.

After working for several manufacturing and distribution firms, he was hired at Virginia Power, where he worked until his retirement in 1997.

Mr. Brown was active in the choir at Chamberlayne Heights United Methodist Church, mentored young people there and worked with the church day care.

He also was active in the National Urban League, the Metropolitan Business League and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity–The Boule.

He also was a lifelong member of the NAACP.

In addition to his wife and daughters, Mr. Brown is survived by one granddaughter and numerous other family and friends.