Charles Edward Withrow

Charles Edward Withrow, of Georgetown, passed away in the early morning hours of December 23rd at UK Medical Center in Lexington. A complicated surgery and a pulmonary embolism took this amazing man from us and shattered our collective world.
Chuck Withrow was born on September 16, 1959, on the Army base in Fort Brag, NC. His father, Glen, was a military police officer and his mother Myra worked as a bank teller. Chuck and his younger brother Mike lived the military life of moving around a lot; their teenage years included two stints in Germany at the base in Augsburg. They loved to work on their cars in the garage, rebuilding and fine-tuning engines together and creating automotive masterpieces. Chuck graduated in 1977 from Pine Forest High School in Fayetteville, NC.
Following graduation, Chuck married and fathered a son, Matt, who was born in 1983. He relocated to Charleston, West Virginia when an opportunity arose for an apprenticeship at the Volkswagen plant there. After nine years, that plant closed and he moved to Frankfort, Kentucky, taking a job at The Budd Company manufacturing and stamping plant in Shelbyville, just thirty minutes away. He married Carmen Runyon and they guided Matt through his teenage years. Matt fell in love with motorcross racing; he and Chuck spent countless weekends on the road attending races and traveling all over the US. Once Matt graduated from Motorcycle Mechanics School in Orlando, Chuck helped him establish a motorcycle repair shop in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Together they worked on engines and repaired sport vehicles, helping the business get established.
After separating from Carmen, Chuck reunited with an old friend from the 1990's, Jennifer Harrison. They had not talked or seen each other in 25 years, but the connection was instantaneous. After dating for three years, they married at sunset, barefoot in the surf at Myrtle Beach, SC in June 2018. They settled into their dream home at Canewood Golf Club and spent so many happy hours sitting in the swing on the veranda, watching the golfers and listening to music with friends.
After 33 years, Chuck retired from The Budd Company (now Martinrea Heavy Stamping) in 2021 on his 62nd birthday. He had worked a total of 42 years in Skilled Trades in the automotive industry as a Tool & Die Technician. He spent his well-earned retirement years relaxing on the porch, smacking a golf ball around, tinkering with his car in the garage and letting their cat Lily in & out the back door one hundred times each day.
Chuck loved his grandchildren and saw them whenever he could, attending their baseball and basketball games. Matt's children Hayden, 19, Sydney, 17, and Ryder, 8, will remember him for his hugs and sense of humor, and for always slipping them a twenty-dollar bill. He considered Matt's girlfriend Kristyn Drake's children to be his grandkids as well, and enjoyed spending time with CJ, 18, Gabe,16, and Ashlyn, 13.
Chuck loved to golf and played whenever he had the chance. He also loved to be on the water, whether it was on his boat, somebody else's boat, or a jet ski. With his perpetual tan and easy grin, he earned the nickname "Mr. Summertime" from Jenn. He could talk to anybody about anything and was so much fun to be around. Jenn's mother, Sue Harrison-Srofe, and her husband Jon Srofe loved Chuck and considered him to be their son; they always looked forward to visiting with him. Jenn's sister Laurie and her fiancé Mike also enjoyed hanging out with him.
Chuck was an incredible brother, father, friend, and husband. His quick sense of humor and crazy stories always had everyone laughing. Please remember him as he was, Mr. Summertime, in his cargo shorts and a golf shirt, ever-present sunglasses on, smiling in the sun as he laughed with his family and friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the family's favorite charities can be made in Chuck's honor: Scott County Humane Society in Georgetown (sc4paws.org) and Grit & Grace Farm & Wildlife Rehabilitation in Cynthiana (gritgracewildliferehab.com).
A celebration of his extraordinary life will be held on Saturday, January 3rd from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Chuck loved UK basketball and Mexican food.. so we'll have a Mexican buffet at the Clubhouse at Canewood, 124 General John Payne Boulevard in Georgetown. Come join us to eat, laugh, reminisce, and watch the Cats beat Alabama! Tipoff is at 12:00 noon.