Charles Shinholser

Trustee

Charles Ray Shinholser, Jr. was killed in the line of duty on his motorcycle while an officer for Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on December 14, 1988.  As a result, his parents, Charles and Virginia Shinholser, became members of an organization that no one wants to join: Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS).

Charles worked his way up from bag boy to District Manager with A&P, retiring after 35 years. He spent the next 14 years in sales with Movsovich Produce Company and immediately upon retiring from them, he began to dedicate all his time to working with COPS.

Instrumental in establishing a chapter of COPS in NE FL, he has been the Chapter Director since its inception in 1998. In addition, Charles developed a program to meet with local sheriffs and, with their agreement, met with all the officers in 9 counties of NE Florida to set up payroll deduction in order to ensure continued funding to carry on the work of COPS.

Charles served 4 years on the National COPS Board as Gulf Region Trustee, encompassing Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and the Caribbean territories. He taught other Chapters all over the country how to set up payroll deduction for their areas. As a result of his hard work, he received the COPS National Distinguished Service Award in 2010 and the Volunteerism Award in 2011; for at least the next 12 years this award will be given yearly in his name for a person nominated for volunteering their services to COPS.

Certifications include:

• From Peer Support to Victim Services, Office of Crime Victims (Department of Justice)
• Critical Incident Stress Management: Group Crisis Intervention
• Northeast Wisconsin Technical College: Becoming an Effective Presenter for COPS

Charles has been a guest speaker at FBI LEEDA, Florida Sheriff’s Association, State Chief’s Association and Sheriff’s Departments throughout Northeast Florida, just to name a few. His goal is to get the word out to all law enforcement agencies, officers and their families that COPS will be there when they are needed to help support and rebuild the shattered lives of families left behind.

Charles and Virginia were married almost 68 years until her death in 2018 and have 5 children, 11 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren. Their family is heavily involved in service: their oldest son is a retired circuit court judge; the second is a retired Sergeant from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office after 35 years. His grandchildren include a Corrections Officer, a Chief of Investigations, a Master Police Officer (MPO), an Assistant State Attorney, a recently retired Army Special Forces and a retired Air Force Tech Sergeant.