On October 29, Charles “Charlie” E. Cheever Jr., chairman emeritus of San Antonio-based Broadway Bank, passed away at the age of 93. Born on an army base in Manila, Philippines, Charlie, as he was best known, was the son of Broadway Bank founders Col. Charles E. Cheever Sr. and Elizabeth Cheever.
A West Point graduate, Cheever served as a pilot instructor in the U.S. Air Force and then as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. In 1957, he graduated from the University of Texas Law School, the same year he joined Broadway Bank to work alongside his father. He became Broadway Bank’s president in 1961 at the age of 32 and created a culture of innovation, ushering in many firsts in the banking industry and guiding the institution through the hard-hitting recession of the late 1980s, when many banks closed. Under Cheever’s leadership, Broadway Bank was the first in San Antonio to offer mortgage lending, onsite discount brokerage services, extended drive-through hours and off-site ATMs. Broadway Bank continues to be the largest privately owned bank headquartered in San Antonio and second largest family-owned bank in Texas.
“I had the pleasure of knowing Charlie for many years and personally saw his leadership and service at work in the community,” says David Ladensohn, chairman of the board. “He was the driving force behind much of Broadway Bank’s growth over the years and his legacy of innovation continues to push [the bank] forward. He loved to be with customers and encouraged them in their pursuits. Charlie was a truly warm and friendly human being.”
“On behalf of all Broadway Bankers past and present, we send our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to his wife, Nancy, his children, grandchildren and the extended Cheever family,” says David Bohne, CEO. “We’re proud of the culture [Cheever] built at Broadway, where innovation, trust and service are valued. Charlie instilled in us that we owe our success to our customers and employees—and they continue to be at the heart of everything we do.”
Cheever was founding co-chairman of the San Antonio Education Partnership, Base Realignment and Closure Commission, and co-chairman of capital campaigns for the San Antonio Fernando Cathedral Restoration Project, Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas, Crosspoint Inc., KLRN and the Army Residence Community. He served as chairman of United Way of San Antonio, the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, Bexar County Hospital District, San Antonio Economic Development Foundation and as a trustee for the University of the Incarnate Word and Southwest Research Institute. He spearheaded the capital campaign for the Challenger Learning Center on the San Antonio College campus, where the Star Tower bears his name. He also served as chairman emeritus of the University of Texas Health Science Center’s advisory board for the Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics and as director emeritus of Project Quest.
Cheever served as chairman of the Texas Bankers Association and as director of the San Antonio branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. In 2004, he was elected to the San Antonio Business Hall of Fame and, in 2016, to the Texas Bankers Hall of Fame and the Texas Business Hall of Fame.
Cheever is survived by his wife, Nancy, a sister, six children with his late wife, Sally, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Two of his children, Suzanne Goudge and Jean Cheever, currently serve on the board of directors at Broadway Bank, and Chris Cheever serves as the bank’s senior vice president/private bank business development.
Established in 1941, Broadway Bank operates financial centers across San Antonio, Austin and the Texas Hill Country.
