Charles Pawling, 101

December 04, 2017

Charles Pawling, age 101, a resident of Brethren Village Retirement Community, passed away on December 4, 2017. Born in Spring Township, Berks County, PA, he was the son of the late George and Ursula (Weitzel) Pawling. He was preceded in death by his wife Anna (Blankenbiller) Pawling in 2007, after 68 years of marriage.
Charles served in the United States Army from 1945-1946, receiving his basic training at Fort Claiborne in Louisiana, then stationed at Fort Kilmer in New Jersey.
In 1949, Charles began working at De George Clothing Company in Reading, where he learned the trade of sewing machine mechanic. In the years that followed, he gained many skills related to the clothing industry through on-the-job training and attending trade shows. He was involved in buying, staff training, designing, and served as a production manager at Dutchmaid, Inc. from 1956 until his retirement in 1981. Mr. Pawling and his wife owned and operated the Brickerville Snackette for several years in the 1960s.
Throughout his adult life, Charles was active in his church as a Sunday school teacher, a conference delegate, trustee, and prayer meeting leader. He and his wife had lived in Ephrata for about 40 years before becoming residents of Brethren Village, where he served as a dedicated volunteer in many positions. In the early years there, he served as president of the Green Thumb Club, and most recently, he caned chairs in the woodshop and served as a clerk in the grocery store. He was a member of New Joy Brethren in Christ Church, Ephrata, for the past 20 years.
Surviving are daughters: Jeanne Ressler (Elvin) of Ephrata, Ann Hogg (John) of Avis, Charlene Leininger (Larry) of Akron, Patricia Martin (Barry) of Lititz, and Lori Pawling, a son, Ron Pawling (Nancy) of Lititz; fourteen grandchildren, and nineteen great grandchildren. In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by a sister Evelyn, four brothers: Luther, Warren, Forrest, and George; and grandson Loren Pawling. He is also survived by a sister-in-law, Florence Pawling, of Sinking Springs and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorial Services will be held on Monday, December 11 at 11:00 am at the Brethren Village Chapel, 3001 Lititz Pike, Lititz, PA 17543. Friends will be received following the service. Burial at Millport Mennonite Cemetery will be private at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Good Samaritan Fund, c/o Brethren Village, 3001 Lititz Pike, Lititz, PA 17543. The Charles F. Snyder Jr. Funeral Home and Chapel, Inc. is in charge of the arrangements.