Charles Louis Cozelos left to be with his bride of 65 years on November 30, 2021.
He was born April 24, 1929, near Huntsville, AL to Charles Stephens Cozelos from Lesbos, Greece and Effie Lavada Wallace Cozelos of Lawrenceburg, TN. Having lost his mother to tuberculosis at the age of 6, he was raised by his father and stepmother, Eva Maples Cozelos. His stepmother, feeling he needed discipline and a strong education, sent him to Castle Heights Military Academy in Lebanon, TN, where he found a love for learning and military service. Upon graduating, he quickly joined the Army at the end of WWII. He was transferred to Fort McPherson in East Point, GA where he met and fell in love with Lottie Frances Pierce. They married June 1, 1949, and moved back to Huntsville, AL to help his father run the Post Office Café located on Jefferson Street.
He was also still serving in the US Army and was working as a chauffer on the Redstone Arsenal Army Base when he was instructed to drive one of the recently captured German scientists, Dr. Werner Von Braun. A friendship was started between the two. He left the Army and began a 40-year career with NASA. Dr. Von Braun saw his skill in math and sent him to Michigan State to receive a degree in mathematics.
While working under Dr. Von Braun, he developed the algorithm for floating point decimals that is still used in all calculators and computers.
During the 1960’s, he worked on the engines for all the Apollo missions and was even awarded the Silver Snoopy Award, the highest honor at NASA.
He was predeceased by his wife, Lottie Frances; parents; sister, Evelyn; son, Stephens Louis Cozelos; and great grandson, Mason. He is survived by his son, Charles P. Cozelos and his wife, Teresa; daughter, Ellen Cozelos; daughter, Margaret Stroud and her husband, Richard. He had seven grandsons, Wess, Ash, Tim, Matt, RJ, Will, and Ben: and a granddaughter, Carolyn. He is also survived by 3 great grandsons, Aiden, Joseph, and Migo; and great granddaughter, Josie.
