Charles George Fromer

1922 - 2026

Surrounded by his family, Charles George Fromer passed peacefully to his eternal home with the Lord on January 15 at the age of 103. He was a son, brother, husband, father, uncle, papaw, friend, colleague, and Christian servant who was beloved by so many who knew him. At his age, he touched the lives of many.

Charles was a product of the Greatest Generation with his strong work ethic, immense resilience, patriotism and Christian family values. His mother died when he was 8 years old in a fatal train accident. Since his father was working many jobs to provide for the family, Charles and some of his siblings had to live with other family members. Growing up during the Great Depression, he began working various jobs at an early age to help support his family. During his senior year in high school, he managed a local fast-food restaurant, working 40 hours a week while maintaining high grades and graduating 3rd in his Greensburg High School Class of 1940. Like many young men of his time, he was drafted. Charles was inducted into the Army Air Corps (precursor to Air Force) in 1942 and served his country through 1945, two of those years in the WWII European Theatre, primarily in England and France.

After he was discharged he married the love of his life, Winifred "Winnie" Smith to whom he was married for 64 years, before her death. They had two daughters, Sierra (Ron) Collins and Charla (Gordon) Simons. A value he cherished and instilled in his children was the importance of FAMILY, especially the extended one. The annual gathering of the Fromer family was an event he and his family never missed, and in later years, hosted. It was a time when generations connected and memories were made. His and Winnie's home was a welcoming place to stay for relatives and friends who visited often.

Using the GI Bill, Charles began his college education at first, Indiana University and then, Butler University while working full-time at Pitman-Moore Pharmaceutical Company. Eighteen years of night school finally paid off. He received his BA degree in Accounting from Butler University in 1965. Dow Chemical acquired Pitman-Moore where he was working as an internal auditor in 1959. After years of climbing the corporate ladder, Charles retired in 1986 as a U S Area Controller Analyst for the Consumer Products Department of the Dow Chemical Company. It was during this time that Charles contributed his interest in finance and accounting, by serving on the Board of Directors of the Dow Credit Union and Central Indiana Credit Union Association. As a board member, he held many positions of leadership, including being president of each of these associations. In addition, he often represented Indiana at the National Credit Union Administration conventions.

In 1945, Charles became a freemason through the Greensburg Lodge. After retirement he continued his journey as a freemason at the Scottish Rite in Indianapolis. In 1998 he was bestowed the honor of becoming a 33° mason. One of his favorite volunteer activities was giving tours of the Scottish Rite to Indianapolis visitors. Under his leadership as a head tour guide there, he wrote and published a booklet that was subsequently used by all the tour guides.

He loved the Lord and served his beloved Southport Baptist Church in various positions. He was a trustee, deacon, youth volunteer leader, Sunday School teacher, treasurer and moderator. By his regular church attendance with his family, he conveyed the importance of weekly worship within a Christian community that his daughters and their families continue in their respective churches today.

Charles loved to work with his hands during his leisure time. He was a problem-solving handyman around his home, creatively fixing things rather than buying new. He especially liked woodworking, vegetable gardening, and yard work. He enjoyed sports. You could commonly find him in the Southport High School gym or football field most every weekend. He was an avid fan of IU basketball (and most recently football) and the Cincinnati Reds. Watching his favorite teams always kept him entertained, especially in his later years. Charles and Winnie participated in a church bowling league for several years. After retirement he learned to play golf. Over time, there was a group of twelve of his friends who played golf three times a week and frequently went on outings together with their spouses. It was during this time that he made a hole-in-one and an eagle, highlights of his 26+ years of playing golf. Charles spoke fondly of his participation in Honor Flight #7 in 2014. It was during this adventure that he became close friends with his accompanying guardian, Joe Dehner, an Indianapolis Firefighter.

He was preceded in death by his parents Kezia (Davis) and John Fromer, his siblings, Beatrice Fromer, Russell Fromer, Martha (Fromer) Cooksey, Howard Fromer, and Katherine (Naab-Russell) Fromer, his beloved wife, Winifred "Winnie" (Smith) Fromer, son-in-law Ron Collins, and grandsons Mark Simons and Jeffrey Collins. He is survived by his daughters Sierra Collins and Charla (Gordon) Simons, three of his five grandsons, Anthony (Alyssa) Simons, Brian (Emily) Collins and David Simons, his four great-granddaughters, Sophia and Fiona Simons and Caroline and Catherine Collins, and many nieces and nephews who love him dearly. His legacy will continue in the hearts of his many surviving relatives, their families and numerous friends he met along the way, especially those he made recently while residing at Greenwood Village.

The funeral service to celebrate his life will be held on January 31, 2026 at the GH Herrmann Funeral Home, Greenwood on SR 135 at 3:00pm. Visitation will be from 1:00pm until time of service. Pastor Jeffrey Stratton will be conducting the service which will include a Masonic ceremony and military honors. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children or charitable organization of your choice. Interment of the cremains will be held in a private family service on Monday, February 2, 2026.