KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) — Friends and colleagues say local NAACP president and long-time Western Michigan University professor Dr. Charles Warfield left a lasting legacy of acceptance in Kalamazoo.
Former Kalamazoo Central High School principal Von Washington Jr. said Warfield affected him significantly.
Both met at Western when Washington was a student.
“I was his graduate assistant while I was doing my master’s degree in educational leadership,” Washington said. “So, he was the first person I met and the first person that I interviewed with, and he had a profound influence on my life.”
He said Warfield’s life mission was to move all people forward.
“He found himself responsible for making sure that he did everything that he possibly could to make sure that all were able to reach their goals and be successful,” Washington said. “He did this better than the majority of the people walking the face of the earth.
Warfield lost his battle with colon cancer on Sunday. He was 77.
Funeral plans have not yet been outlined.
