\t\t\tCharles M. Watkins \t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\tOBITUARY\t\t<\/p>\n
Charles M. Watkins, 85, formerly of Perry Township, Berks County, peacefully<\/p>\n
passed away on Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at The Manor at Market Square,<\/p>\n
Reading, where he resided.<\/p>\n
Charles is survived by his children: Joel Watkins Shaffer, wife of Curtis Shaffer,<\/p>\n
Bend, Oregon; John Clair Watkins, husband of Heather Watkins, Fleetwood; and<\/p>\n
Brian Andrew Watkins, husband of Lisl Shoda, Menlo Park, California; and four<\/p>\n
grandchildren: Alex, Evan, Kadence and Devan. He is also survived by his<\/p>\n
siblings: Mark Wilmot, Lee R. Wilmot, Dwight A. Wilmot, David Wilmot; and Alice<\/p>\n
E. Wilmot Squires. Charles was predeceased by his siblings: James C. Watkins<\/p>\n
and Dorothea C. Watkins Marcy.<\/p>\n
Chuck was born May 16, 1940, to John Clair Watkins and Lawrene (Schuler)<\/p>\n
Watkins Wilmot on the South slope of the South peak of Elk Mountain, as the<\/p>\n
second oldest of three Children: Older brother Jim and younger sister, Dorothea.<\/p>\n
His Father died in August, 1942 from tuberculosis at the age of thirty-two.<\/p>\n
His Mother remarried in 1946 to Ralph O. Wilmot, which resulted in the family<\/p>\n
expanding to include four other brothers, Mark, Lee, Dwight, and David, and a<\/p>\n
sister, Alice.<\/p>\n
Chuck\ufffds formal schooling began in the one-room school house in Elkdale, and<\/p>\n
continued from first grade through the first half of fifth grade. The second half of<\/p>\n
fifth grade through eighth grade was at the then new school in Clifford.<\/p>\n
He attended Harford High School (Now part of Mountain View High School) from<\/p>\n
1954 \u2013 58. He played basketball under Coach Julius Prezelski and enjoyed<\/p>\n
playing on a team that beat both Montrose and Elk Lake in the same year (may<\/p>\n
still be a record). He was a member of the track team and competed in the high<\/p>\n
jump, 440, and mile relay team. Chuck was active in FFA: Engaged in judging<\/p>\n
contests; showing cattle; and competing with the parliamentary procedure team.<\/p>\n
In his senior year he was FFA President and Senior Class President.<\/p>\n
After high school, Chuck joined the U.S. Marine Corps, for a three-year<\/p>\n
enlistment. This involved boot camp at Paris Island, infantry training at Camp<\/p>\n
LeJune, and ending up at the Marine Base in Twenty-Nine Palms, California. He<\/p>\n
was assigned to an anit-aircraft artillery unit and studied radio communications.<\/p>\n
His first Marine duty assignment in communications was with the First Air and<\/p>\n
Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) on Oahu, Hawaii. The nations of the<\/p>\n
Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) at that time had land troops but no<\/p>\n
naval forces or air power. ANGLICO members were assigned to SEATO military<\/p>\n
groups to be the communications link between the SEATO\ufffds need for naval<\/p>\n
gunfire or air power to support their land troops. A special duty assignment<\/p>\n
resulted in Chuck being on the 38\u2033 parallel, in Korea, with South Korean troops,<\/p>\n
at a time when the Korean War armistice expired and attack was expected from<\/p>\n
the North. On another special duty assignment he spent two weeks on a<\/p>\n
Nationalist Chinese ship, patrolling the Formosa Strait at a time when there was<\/p>\n
fear that the Communist Chinese were going to launch an attack against the<\/p>\n
Nationalist Chinese. Between special duty assignments, while on Oahu, Chuck<\/p>\n
played basketball and football (offensive and defensive end) for ANGLICO<\/p>\n
teams. It was on Oahu that he first learned to play tennis. Chuck ended Marine<\/p>\n
Corps duty as a Corporal E-4.<\/p>\n
Chuck obtained a bachelors and masters degree in philosophy at Penn State and<\/p>\n
was hired as an Instructor in Philosophy by the Altoona Campus of Penn State in<\/p>\n
1964, and taught there for nine years. He then accepted a teaching position at<\/p>\n
Kutztown University and taught there for twenty-five years, retiring as Professor<\/p>\n
Emeritus in Philosophy, in 1995.<\/p>\n
While at the Altoona Campus,Chuck met his former spouse Arleen Joyce Bickel,<\/p>\n
an assistant professor of mathematics. Three children resulted from their<\/p>\n
marriage. Chuck\ufffds later former spouse was Christine Vaccaro who worked for<\/p>\n
the County of Berks as an adoption employee.<\/p>\n
While at Kutztown University, Chuck coached tennis for ten years and<\/p>\n
inaugurated a Southern tour during the annual spring break. Many of the players<\/p>\n
who went on these Southern tours say that it was the highlight of their college<\/p>\n
careers and they still hold an annual reunion. During this time he also opened a<\/p>\n
Tennis shop called \ufffdTiebreaker\ufffd.<\/p>\n
Chuck\ufffds interest in law began in High School but was only able to be acted upon<\/p>\n
in 1984 when he had a full-year sabbatical from his teaching position. He began<\/p>\n
attending law school at the University of Idaho. It took him six years to complete<\/p>\n
law school because, at the time, he was a single parent with three children in<\/p>\n
college. Completing his law degree included commuting to Dickinson during the<\/p>\n
college year, while also teaching full time, and studying law for three summers at<\/p>\n
the University of Utah. In March, 1986, Chuck began doing research and writing<\/p>\n
for Paul R. Ober & Associates, a law firm in Reading, Pennsylvania. In<\/p>\n
December, 1990, he became a member of the Bar in Berks County,<\/p>\n
Pennsylvania and became a partner in the law firm of Paul R. Ober & Associates.<\/p>\n
Chuck has since practiced in at least ten counties in Pennsylvania, including<\/p>\n
Susquehanna, Wayne, Bradford, Tioga and Wyoming, and was a member of the<\/p>\n
bar of the Eastern and Middle Federal District Courts, the Third Circuit Court of<\/p>\n
Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. Chuck was proud to have won<\/p>\n
cases before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.<\/p>\n
For eight years, 1992 to 2000, Chuck was on the Board of Directors of Planned<\/p>\n
Parenthood of North East Pennsylvania (PPNEP) and was President of the<\/p>\n
Board the last two of those years.<\/p>\n
Chuck was an avid athlete and hobbyist. His passions included horticulture,<\/p>\n
hunting, archery, woodworking, tennis, racketball, football, reading, beekeeping,<\/p>\n
and traveling.<\/p>\n
Treat others as you wish to be treated, not as they treat you.<\/p>\n
Chuck has always been a teacher and encouraged people to reach for their<\/p>\n
dreams, as was evident in his high school Commencement Address: Don\u2019t sell<\/p>\n
yourself short by making decisions which limit your potential and your<\/p>\n
opportunities. Don\u2019t assume that you are unable to do something or that others<\/p>\n
are inherently more qualified or smarter than you are. Trust that your brain is<\/p>\n
capable of accurate analysis and that it can guide you to worthwhile conclusions.<\/p>\n
But don\u2019t be so pompous and arrogant that you are incapable of making<\/p>\n
corrections to your analysis when presented with the relevant evidence. Aim<\/p>\n
high: Don\u2019t dream of being vice president.<\/p>\n
A celebration of Charles\u2019 life will be held at a later date. Leibensperger Funeral<\/p>\n
Homes, Inc., Leesport is in charge of arrangements. For online condolences,<\/p>\n