Charles Fletcher Ison

Charles Fletcher “Bud” Ison III, age 83, beloved husband of Jane (Williams) Ison for over sixty years,
passed away on December 15, 2018, at home surrounded by loved ones in Simpsonville, SC. Bud was
born April 29, 1935 in Ludlow, Kentucky to Eva (Stewart) and Phillip Ison. He received his master’s in
education at the University of Maryland, and was a career educator with the Montgomery County
Maryland school system, teaching, counseling, coaching, and becoming an administrator in middle and
high schools before retiring as an elementary school principal. He took a three-year leave of absence in
the middle of his career to take the helm of an international school in Athens Greece, and with his
family, traveled all over Europe, Turkey and Egypt in a VW Camper.
Bud was an inveterate organizer, a lover of people and adventure. In 1991, with his wife Jane and their
best friends Bob and Moni Rayle, he sailed across the Atlantic to Greece, lived on their boat the
“Odyssey,” and sailed the Mediterranean for over two years. Bud and Jane retired to Big Canoe, Georgia
where they developed many close friends, and enjoyed golf and fishing. Here Bud continued his role as
“camp counselor” for hiking, boating, and music-filled reunions, where he would lead the evening
festivities with guitar, ukulele, hymns, and folk songs. “Papou” to his grandchildren and “Uncle Bud” to
extended family and friends, he loved handing out harmonicas to all the children in his orbit.
Besides his wife, he is survived by a son, Shawn Ison and his wife Leigh of Piedmont, SC, and two
daughters, Julie Ison Haley and her husband Michael of Alpharetta, GA, and Leslie Metcalfe of
Simpsonville, SC. Also surviving are grandchildren Charles and Reid Ison, Kaitlin and Conor Haley, and
Austin and Madeline Metcalfe as well as nephews, Bruce Moran (wife Betty) and Blake Moran (wife
Sheree), sons of Bud’s late sister, Phyllis Moran.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a future date. Donations in his memory may be made to Habitat for Humanity in Pickens County, GA, http://pickenshfh.org/ or Himalayan Children’s Charities,
https://hccnepal.org which educates and cares for orphans and children in Kathmandu, Nepal.