Charles K. “Pete” Cross
By: Alumni Publications | Categories: In Memoriam
Charles K. “Pete” Cross, Cls 50, of Winter Park, Fla. on July 19.
Cross was devoted to his family, his career, his church and Georgia Tech. Cross graduated from North Fulton High School in 1946 and attended Georgia Tech, where he was part of the V-5 Naval program and Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He continued his academic journey at the University of Georgia, the Louisiana State University School of Banking and the Emory University Advanced Management Program.
In the Korean War, Cross served in the United States Air Force’s Ninth Air Force Tactical Air Command from 1950-52. During this time, Cross married the love of his life, Ann Green. Pete and Ann enjoyed 65 years of marriage and had four sons, 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Following service in the Air Force, Cross embarked on a successful business career. He worked at First National Bank in Atlanta for 16 years, rising to the position of vice president. He then joined one of his best friends, Bob Holder, at Holder Construction Co. as vice president of finance. After two years, the banking industry came calling and Pete moved to Columbia, S.C., to become president of South Carolina National Bank.
This move was followed by an even bigger opportunity in 1974, when he moved to Winter Park, Fla., to become chairman, president and CEO of Barnett Banks of Central Florida—a position he held until his retirement in 1993.
While working his way up in the banking industry, Cross was also becoming recognized nationally in the corporate community. In 1968, he joined the Board of Directors of Texas Gas Transmission, which later became part of CSX Railroad. Cross spent 25 years on the board of CSX Corp. and also spent time on the board of directors of the Federal Reserve in Jacksonville, American Century Mortgage Investors, the Presbyterian Church USA and the Columbia Theological Seminary.
Throughout his life, Cross was loyal to Georgia Tech. He served as president of Tech alumni networks in Atlanta, Columbia, S.C., and Orlando, Fla. He also worked tirelessly for the school serving the Alumni Association and the Georgia Tech Advisory Board. In 2010, he was given the Joseph Mayo Pettit Alumni Distinguished Service Award.
In death, Cross continues to honor his alma mater by endowing three academic scholarships to be awarded to students from either Winter Park High School or Edgewater High School in Central Florida who attend Georgia Tech.
