CHARLES WITTENAUER

MOUNT AIRY — Mr. Charles Vincent (Chuck) Wittenauer died on May 22, 2014, in Mount Airy, NC where he resided for 41 years with his wife and children. He was known as "Vin" to his immediate family and hometown friends. Chuck was born in Hubbard, Ohio, March 28, 1925 to the late Bernard P. Wittenauer of Hubbard, and the late Katie Ellen McLaughlin Wittenauer of county Sligo, Ireland. He is preceded in death by his sister, Betty Bresnahan of Hubbard, Ohio and brother, Bernard of Boardman, Ohio. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Mary Ruth McLean Wittenauer, his children, Laurie Anne Vogler, Ararat, NC, Cathy Spivey and husband, Doug, of Villa Rica, GA, Robin Schick and husband, Roland, of Dunwoody, GA, Shannon Wittenauer of Clemmons, NC, Erin Wittenauer, of Mount Airy, NC and a son, Thomas G. Wittenauer and his wife Sharmin, of Fort Mill, SC. Chuck is survived by seven granddaughters, McLean Rodriguez and husband, Kevin, Elizabeth Vogler, and Antonie Vogler, Kelsey and Stacey Geary, Rylee Wittenauer, Ashley Downs and husband, Nathan; five great grandchildren, Kyeden and Kynleigh Rodriguez and Katie, Leslie, and Marley Moore. Chuck is also survived by his brother Carl (Bud) Wittenauer and wife, Jane, of Hubbard Ohio, as well as sister in law, Billie Wittenauer of Youngstown, OH. He leaves many loved nieces and nephews in Ohio, Texas and Indiana. Chuck was a 1943 graduate of Hubbard High School, Aviation Cadet Class of 43J, Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC, a 1949 graduate of Youngstown College, Youngstown, OH where he was a member of Phi Sigma Epsilon Fraternity. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1943, served on a B-24 bomber crew based at Spinazzola, Italy, 55th Wing, 15th Air Force, 460th Bomber Group, 763rd Squadron. He was honorably discharged at Wright-Patterson Airfield, Dayton, OH, November 1945. After graduation from college, he entered teaching at New Springfield H.S., Petersburg, OH; was an IBM sales rep in Akron, OH, Atlanta district manager with Firestone and retired vice president of North Carolina Foam Industries, Mount Airy, NC in 1990. Chuck was a member of Holy Angels Catholic Church, Mount Airy, where he was a former chairman of the parish board, a Eucharistic Minister, a Knight of Columbus, Council 11406, Past Grand Knight, The Triad Assembly of the 4th Degree, VFW Post 2019, American Legion, Post 0123, Elks Lodge 2061, the 15th Air Force Association, March Field, CA and the 450th Bomb Group Society. He had an interest in anything of the historical past, was a docent at The Mount Airy Museum of Regional History and served as Co-Convener of the Scottish Heritage Society of the Blue Ridge. The family wishes to express their heartfelt gratitude to Chuck's private caregivers and to the staff at the Joan and Howard Woltz Hospice Home for their devoted and loving care. To celebrate Chuck's life, family members will hold a private memorial mass conducted by Father Larry Heiney at Holy Angels Catholic Church, Mount Airy, NC on May 26th, 2014 at 12:00 pm. Interment will follow in Oakdale Cemetery where military honors will be rendered. Memorials may be made to the Air Force Museum Foundation, P.O. Box 1903, 1100 Spaatz Street, Wright Patterson AFB, OH 45433. Howell Funeral Service of Mount Airy is serving the family. Online condolences may be made at www.howellfuneralservices.com.