Charles J. Colgan
| Charles J. Colgan | |
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President pro tempore of the Senate of Virginia |
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In office January 28, 2014 – June 12, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Walter Stosch |
| Succeeded by | Walter Stosch |
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In office January 9, 2008 – January 11, 2012 |
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| Preceded by | John Chichester |
| Succeeded by | Walter Stosch |
| Member of the Virginia Senate from the 29th district |
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In office January 14, 1976 – January 13, 2016 |
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| Preceded by | H. Selwyn Smith |
| Succeeded by | Jeremy McPike |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Charles Joseph Colgan September 25, 1926 Frostburg, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | January 3, 2017 (aged 90) Aldie, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
Agnes Loretto Footen (m. 1948; d. 2001) Carmen Alicia Bernal (m. 2008) |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
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| Service/branch |
United States Army Air Forces United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1945–1950 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
Charles Joseph Colgan (September 25, 1926 – January 3, 2017) was an American politician and businessman. He served for forty years in the Senate of Virginia, with a brief period as the President pro tempore.
Orphaned at the age of 5, Colgan was raised by his grandparents on a farm in Garrett County, Maryland.
Upon his graduation from high school Colgan enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and was called to active duty in February 1945. After graduation from basic training Colgan was stationed in Italy as part of a maintenance flight crew on a C-47. After completing his military service Colgan returned to Maryland where he met and married his wife Agnes. In 1948, Colgan and his wife moved to Washington, D.C. He trained as an airplane mechanic working for Capital Airlines and then obtained his commercial pilots license.
After flying as a corporate pilot, Colgan moved to Manassas, Virginia in 1964 and formed Colgan Air operating as a flight school and fixed-base operation. In 1968, Colgan expanded his business to include a regional airline which he sold to Presidential Airways in 1986. After the bankruptcy of Presidential, around 1991, Senator Colgan and his son Mike restarted air service under the new name Colgan Air with one aircraft. Colgan and his family sold the airline in 2007 to Pinnacle Airlines.
At the time of the sale, Colgan Air had grown from a few employees and one aircraft to 1,100 employees, 50 aircraft, and 350 flights daily to 53 cities in the North East and Texas.
Colgan’s public service began in 1972 when he was elected to the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, where he served as chairman for one year. In 1975, Colgan was elected to the Virginia State Senate with 61% of the vote, representing Prince William County, and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.
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