Dr. Charles N. Toftoy ‘58 has built a distinguished career across three demanding sectors: military, corporate, and academic. Over the course of 20 years in the U.S. Army, he served as an Airborne Ranger and Infantry Officer, completing two combat tours in Vietnam and earning numerous honors for bravery and sacrifice, including two Purple Hearts. His military decorations also include the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, seven Bronze Stars (four for valor), eight Air Medals (one for valor), and multiple Vietnamese commendations, including the Vietnamese Medal of Honor (1st class) and Vietnamese Wound Medal.
After his military service, Toftoy transitioned into the corporate world, where he spent 12 years in senior leadership roles. He served as General Manager at Raytheon Service Company, Director of Marketing for Lear Siegler, Inc., and President of PATCH Associates, among others. His expertise in leadership and strategic planning—shaped by his Doctorate in Strategic Planning, MBA from Tulane University, and BS in Engineering from West Point—made him a trusted advisor across industries.
In the academic realm, Dr. Toftoy spent 17 years as a professor at George Washington University’s Business School. There, he directed the Entrepreneurial Small Business Program and taught undergraduate, graduate, and Executive MBA courses. He retired as professor emeritus in 2007. His impact extended beyond the classroom—he provided direct assistance to more than 1,500 small and medium-sized enterprises in the D.C. region and led international business training programs in Eastern Europe, South America, and other developing nations.
His literary accomplishments include three award-winning novels: two mystery/thrillers and one self-help motivational book. He has also authored a business book focused on CEO strategy and is currently exploring new ground through poetry.
Dr. Toftoy’s creative journey as a writer began in a GWU classroom. After one of his brightest students was brutally murdered, he wrote his first novel in her memory. That was the moment writing became more than an outlet—it became a mission. Since then, he has authored six books spanning four genres: psychological thrillers, self-help, history, and academic research.
Poetry came into his life unexpectedly, through a longtime Navy friend who sent him a few of his own poems. Toftoy began studying the art of poetry and was drawn to the quintain—a five-line, eleven-word form created by Adelaide Crapsey in the early 1900s. Quintains are compact, structured, and require each word to carry weight. The style immediately appealed to Toftoy’s West Point-honed mindset: bottom line, no-nonsense, mission-focused.
His first quintain was a birthday tribute for a neighbor. Since then, he has written poems that reflect deeply personal experiences—including one currently in progress about a soldier who died in his lap during Vietnam after losing both legs. That memory has never left him, and neither will the poem. For him, poetry is more than expression—it’s a form of service, a way to preserve memory, share hard-earned lessons, and help others carry something forward.
His advice to today’s cadets and fellow graduates is simple but profound: “Stay open. Stay curious. Notice the unexpected. A flower no one else sees. A tree that stands alone. A moment that makes you stop. Write about it. Capture it. Keep a ‘gonna write a poem about it’ list. That’s where the real inspiration lives.”
THE BRAVE THIRTEEN For West Point ‘58 Classmates Who Died In The Vietnam War
“You
Died honorably
Hail- duty, honor, country
God bless you
Heroes”
WIDOWS – USMA, 1958
“Widows
Our heroines
Supporting, Unyielding, Encouraging
Class’s brick & mortar
Confidantes”
WEST POINT CADETS
“Cadets
Extraordinary, stellar
Astonishing, awe-inspiring, surpassing
West Point’s incomparable youths
Leaders”
