Charles Garland Penick Sr.

1931 - 2021

Charles Garland Penick Sr.

January 4, 1931 - January 18, 2021

Charles Garland Penick Sr., 90, of Vinton and Fredericksburg, Virginia, passed on Monday, January 18, 2021.

Charles "Charlie" was preceded in death by his parents, Bertie Shrader Penick and Josiah Penick. He was also preceded in death by all of his brothers and sisters and many cousins. He was the last remaining member of his family.

Surviving is his wife, Violet Dawn Penick of Fredericksburg, Va.; and his sons and wives, Dr. Charles "Chuck" Penick and wife, Kim, of Fredericksburg, Va., and the Revs. Joseph "Joe" Penick and wife, Caroline, of Frostburg, Md. Also surviving are four grandchildren, Seth Penick and wife, Amanda, of Chester Pa., Kelly Penick of Fredericksburg, Va., Gabriel Penick, Stephanie Wilt and husband, Stephen, of Frostburg, Md.; as well as three great-grandchildren, Lee, Cobe, and Carter; and numerous cousins, nephews, and nieces.

Charlie grew up in Roanoke, Virginia, where he graduated from William Byrd High School and then worked for a short time with GMAC. After that, he enlisted into the United States Air Force, serving four years in the military, and stationed in several air bases. His two sons were born in Salina, Kansas, while he was stationed there. After his time in the military, Charlie went back to working for GMAC in the accounting department in Roanoke, Richmond, and Washington D.C., where he later became a department supervisor.

After retiring from the GMAC branch near Washington D.C., Violet and Charlie moved to Greenville, South Carolina, where they spent many enjoyable years establishing many good friendships. While there, Charlie had several part-time jobs.

Charlie and Violet moved back to the Roanoke area, living in Vinton, Virginia, where they lived for many years. Charlie and Violet were married for 68 wonderful years. Over the years in all of their places of residence, Charlie was a regular church goer, being especially active in several Presbyterian churches serving as deacon and elder. He also enjoyed volunteering with the Salvation Army and other outreach ministries. After many good years in the Roanoke area, he and Violet moved to Fredericksburg to be closer to their son, Chuck, where they were residing at the time of Charlie's passing.

Charlie had a deep respect for our veterans and enjoyed special relationships over the years with many war veterans. He was very active in several Veteran support groups and was personally responsible for obtaining badly needed disability payments for several World War II combat veterans.

Charlie will be missed by his family and friends who enjoyed his kind ways with his funny wit and interesting stories. He had a real wisdom about life that many people benefited from. He developed several hobbies over the years and enjoyed going to movies, watching many of them with his son, Chuck. He especially liked westerns and high-action, fast-paced adventures. Along with watching movies, he enjoyed reading many different types of books, fiction and nonfiction.

Charlie's outside pastime was going for walks in many different settings with his wife, especially the mountains and the Greenway. In later years, Charlie enjoyed walking in the senior community where they lived, especially to the local duck pond, appreciating the peaceful serene life that nature provided for him. He loved capturing these special moments through photography and often shared his pictures with family and friends. Charlie's love for the simple and beautiful things in nature was special for those with him. His flower bed with names of individual people labeled on each flower was something unique that he was proud of. Charlie enjoyed watching sporting events, especially football, basketball, and golf at all levels from college to professional.

There will be a Memorial Graveside Service at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 30, 2021, at the Antioch Church of the Brethren Cemetery in Franklin County, Virginia.

Donations may be made to Disabled American Veterans (Roanoke Chapter), or to the Salvation Army of Roanoke. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.oakeys.com.