Charles Pennington was born in Cincinnati on June 12th, 1934 and passed peacefully in the hands of his granddaughter Lauren and her childhood friend Fran Nolan-Ries on Wednesday September 16th, 2026 at exactly 11:30am (maintaining his reputation for punctuality). He was preceded in death by his parents Bessie and Oscar Pennington, his brothers Jim and Bill Pennington, wife Patricia Pennington (nee Evers), and daughter Eileen Roberts. Survived by his granddaughter Lauren Roberts and brother Clyde (Cathy) Pennington and brother-in-law Bob (Carol) Evers.

He was the oldest son of four. His father was a punch press operator, and his mother would sew and make neck ties. When he was in middle school, the family moved to Kentucky where his father was a farmer, and his mother took care of the home and children. Farm work allowed Charlie to hone his skills working with animals and he would often show-off how he could plow the fields with mules simply by using vocal cues. Animals always took him and trusted him quickly – he even rehabilitated a squirrel who would return to visit him. Unfortunately, chicken was a common meal on the farm, and his family ate so much of it when he was young that he and his brother never ate it after leaving the farm. Yet bacon, eggs, and gravy remain a favorite breakfast staple and many a Saturday morning was spent laboring over a perfectly cooked spread.

Charlie moved back to Cincinnati after he graduated from Tyner High School and lived with his Aunt Grace while working at NuTone where he worked as a machine operator cutting wire for various products. During break time at NuTone he could be found playing basketball with coworkers; a hobby which also got him the rest of the day off work when he caught an elbow to the head requiring stitches. He also enjoyed playing on the company bowling team where he was known for his ability to throw Brooklyn strikes.

Charlie was drafted into the Army where he served as a Private 1st Class from July of 1955 through May of 1957 in Germany as a tank mechanic stationed at the Berlin Wall. His good behavior and eye for detail won him the respect of his superiors and often an extra day on his weekend pass. Eager to win friends wherever he went, he was also able to maintain a reputation for being a friendly practical joker and artful storyteller in his unit. Upon completion of his miliary service, he promptly bought a black '57 Chevy Bel Air that he drove home to Kentucky all the way from New York.

He then promptly returned to Cincinnati and his job at NuTone. It was here that he met his future wife, Patricia, getting her attention and winning her over with his impish antics by shooting rubber bands at her in the break room. Married in 1973 they, along with their daughter Eileen, moved to Clermont County. It was there that they took pride in their exquisitely landscaped yard; growing apples, grapes, annuals and perennials and the prettiest Japanese Maple in the county.

They also had the good luck of adding the World's Best Cat to their family - Pinky, a blonde Persian with a pink nose. Pinky remained an often reminisced upon legend in the household – known for his nightly antics, fearlessness, and obedient nature… which included carrying out trained attacks and some untrained attacks on whatever jigsaw puzzle Charlie was working on. Though sometimes unpredictable, Pinky made a habit of demanding lap time and cuddles at 10pm sharp every night.

Some of the family’s fondest memories were of Eileen's high school band competition days. Charlie quickly found himself playing the role of cherished chaperone who was both respected by the students and had no problem fueling their teenage mischief. The Milford High School Band traveled to Disney World to play in the 1981 Orange Bowl, an honor and trip of a lifetime. Despite his love of band music, gospel, and rock n’ roll music - such as Elvis and The Beatles (both of which he saw in concert), he was never one to dance!

While some of us become overwhelmed by keeping up with routine tasks, Charlie became angsty when not busy. When he was not serving as a chaperone during band competitions, working at NuTone, working around the yard, and later serving as Grandpa Extraordinaire, Charlie worked as a realtor. Always a people-person he had fun for roughly twelve years showing and selling some of Cincinnati’s finest homes.

Of all the roles he held and the responsibilities he had, perhaps the most unique was that of local activist. The friendships and connections he formed over the years prepared him to advise the City of Milford when they were looking to relocate Pattison Elementary. Charlie spent tireless hours going door to door to make sure citizens had a say in where the school would be built.

The family made a habit of travel and enjoyed trips out west and were sure to catch a glimpse of all the most magnificent sights. Arizona and Colorado being the most memorable, though Florida trips were also frequent – a drive Charlie was famed for doing all in one go! In 2004, Charlie traveled with his granddaughter, Lauren, to Rome, Italy where he reprised the role of beloved high school chaperone.

Upon retirement from NuTone after 44 years of service, Charlie took a long, well deserved, rest… for all of about a month and then returned to work at Builder Square and then Home Depot where he assisted thousands of customers – many of whom only trusted him with their projects and questions. It was there he took pride in training new employees and chose to take responsibility for the Kid's Workshop for nearly 27 years. Affectionately known by the moniker of “Mr. Charlie” by workshop attendees, he enlisted the help of other store associates for the workshops – they called themselves Charlie’s Angels. It was through these workshops that he created a safe and fun space for parents and kids to enjoy crafting their own projects while learning about hardware and gaining patience for the process of creation.

He met many kids (and then the kids of those kids) over the years and never missed an opportunity to talk up and promote the Kid’s Workshop (or secretly send a kit home to a child who was unable to make it in person). He and Home Depot eventually counted on roughly 400 children showing up to each monthly workshop. He even gained two grandchildren who “adopted” him after they their biological grandparents passed away. You might think this would cause his Granddaughter Lauren to become jealous, but she knew you just couldn’t help but love him. Everybody loves Charlie (but probably no one as much as her).

Parkinsons and a stroke finally caught up with him and forced him to hang up his tool belt in 2024 and move into Sem Haven. True to his nature, while living at Sem Haven Charlie never met a stranger. He was happy to have a group of folks to talk to about the Bengals and WWE wrestling. He took full advantage of every opportunity to be an active part of the community – he enjoyed cornhole, bingo, painting, drum circles, church, movie night, poker night, various outings, and was always grateful for help assembling his latest jigsaw puzzle. Eventually, Parkinsons stole his voice/vocal strength, but he never missed an opportunity to labor out a joke or a kind and supportive word whenever possible. He was insistent that those caring for him at Sem know the magnitude of his gratitude – while he didn’t enjoy having to be cared for, he never took it nor those caring for him for granted.

Remembered by all as the hardest worker and most patient man on the planet, he was a kind and considerate soul to the very end; his last gift was to donate his body to the University of Cincinnati so that more can be learned about Parkinsons, saying “it’s only right.” He is already deeply missed by all.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to either:

UC Health Foundation Gardner Family Center for Parkinson's which will advance research-backed care, clinical trials and education for patients facing Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders at the Gardner Center (Research & Education Fund). Visit foundation.uc.edu/ucgnitribute for more information.

Crayons and Beyond which equips Cincinnati’s PreK – 12th grade teachers and their students with supplies and confidence for the classroom. Visit www.crayonsandbeyond.org for more information.