Charles Mcgeary, Jr.

Charles Porter McGeary Jr., (Chuck), age 96, of Erie, passed away on Saturday May 23, 2020 at UPMC Hamot. He was born on April 30, 1924 in Erie, PA, the oldest child of the late Porter and Chelsea Schenck McGeary.

He always loved airplanes, and built his first flying model when he was eight years old. He was building models into January of this year.  He joined the American modeling Association in 1938 and was still a member when he passed, 82 years later. He was so crazy about airplanes that while in high school a young lady broke off a relationship with him because she said he talked about nothing else.   Chuck graduated from Strong Vincent High School, class of 1942. That summer, Chuck and his cousin Bud tried to enlist in the army air force, but were turned away. He worked at Erie Bolt until he was drafted in April 1943. Because he could type (not many men could back then), he worked as a clerk stateside until the end of 1944, when he was sent back to basic and then on to Europe as a gunners mate on a self-propelled 105 mm artillery piece. He was in the battle of the Rhine and the battle of the Ruhr.   At the end of the war, he served at an occupation camp in Austria, repatriating German doctors.

He graduated from Alleghany College where he met his future wife Hope (Sandy) in 1947.  They fell in love when she came to Chuck’s family farm (leased from the Algeria family), 160 acres just east of Peninsula Drive today, to see if she could get better horses for the winter.  They started dating and were married in 1949.  They moved to Virginia where he worked as an engineer for Virginia Electric Power Company. Both Chuck and Sandy got their pilots licenses, flying a piper cub. Their sons Chris and Dave were born there. In 1958, He moved the family to Erie and built the house at Townline Stables on Millfair Road.Their daughter Debbie was born in Erie.

Chuck worked for the Erie Business Center, eventually becoming the owner and director. He flew a small plane regularly between Erie and eastern Virginia. After a near fatal plane crash in a piper cub, he got more interested in sailboats. Chuck and Sandy sailed all over the Great Lakes, down the eastern seaboard, and around the Bahamas. They spent their later years living in Erie in the summer and Stuart Florida in the winter.

Chuck was still driving between Erie and Florida in 2019. He loved going out with his Florida buddies to get a few RC flights in at dawn, and then breakfast at McDonald’s.  Chuck was a proud member of Kiwanis for over 50 years, a member of Power Squadron and the EAA.
 
He set a great example of a life well lived.

In addition to his parents, his wife Sandy preceded him in death in November 2015; and a great granddaughter, Kaylah Elizabeth McGeary.

He is survived by his sister Margaret Sample (Larry) of Wilmington NC, two sons Christopher McGeary (Margot) of Gibsonia, PA and David McGeary of Allison Park, PA, daughter Deborah McCaughtry (Samuel) of Waterford, PA, 6 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.

The family would like to thank all the personnel that helped him pass without pain. As well as the nurse at Hamot who held the phone to his ear so we could say our final. “I love you’ and so long. And of course, to all those at ForestView, Spring Hill and Bickford, thank you for all your kindness and care. 

A celebration of life gathering will take place on Sunday July 26^th from 2-5pm at Gehrlein Air Field, 9001 Hamot Rd., Waterford, PA  16441, an Orange Windsock denotes the driveway or call 814-796-6161 for directions. 

Burial was in Laurel Hill Cemetery.  

Memorials may be made to Memorials may be made to The Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org/donate or the Kiwanis Children's Fund, https://www2.kiwanis.org/childrensfund/online-donation-form

Arrangements by Burton Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc, 602 W. 10^th St.