Charles W. Erle

Charles Erle (79), our Husband, Dad, Grandfather, Father-In-Law, Sibling, Friend and servant to the Lord our God was called home Sunday, November 10, 2024. He will be forever remembered as a unfailing husband to Marcia, his wife of 59 years. He will be remembered as a father to 3 sons and 7 grandchildren. He will be remembered as a deep traditional family man who wished “it could have been more”. He will be quickly remembered for his reverent sense of humor that rarely left him.
There was never a better example of what God’s marriage could look like. He and Marcia had plenty of the health and plenty of the sickness through which their bond never waivered nor was ever even questioned. It only became stronger. Their house is known as ‘The Erle Rest Home’. It is a place of humor, of love, of lively discussion, family dinners, of repairs, even a fire, but always a place where you walk in the back door with a quick knock which is then greeted by “Come On In!”. Then you are welcomed warmly back to the place you grew up in, visited often, shared a meal, attended parties, and gathered around the sidewalk for a neighborly chat.
Charles graduated from Elmira College while working for IBM in Owego, NY. He put in a full day, then drove to Elmira to attend night school to earn his bachelor’s degree. It took 8 years of sacrifice for he and Marcia to achieve this goal and in doing so, allowed him to provide for his family. Charles worked professionally as a senior contracts administrator for 43 years at IBM (Owego), then Loral, and finally Lockheed-Martin. His colleagues loved and appreciated him for his dedication to details. He insisted on completeness and accuracy, but doing so with a sense of humor. His favorite project was probably for the A-10 warthog and Lockheed’s part in keeping one of his favorite planes working for our military which he had a deep respect for.
His passion for many years was volunteering at “The Wings Of Eagles” warplane museum in Horseheads, NY. There he and his brother Rob would work to restore many historic warplanes (including his beloved A-10). Charles also volunteered for many years as an EMT with the Union Volunteer Emergency Squad with Marcia. We remember the days of having a ‘Plectron’ near the dinner table and whether he would be alerted to an emergency while he was on duty. This was after putting in a full day at work. He hauled all of us to little league, to weekend camping trips, played countless games of catch, installed a swimming pool, set up ice skating rinks, and watched with eagerness and enthusiasm as his kids demonstrated their latest wheelies, their football games, or discovered that a son had disassembled an entire ATV and had all the parts in his garage on a sheet. That last one was probably not enthusiastic.
Charles was a member of St. Andrews Anglican church in Endicott. There he put in many hours keeping the grounds up to his standards, serving on the property committee, but most importantly turning his face to God and gaining a fuller understanding of God’s revelation for him and for us.
Funeral Services for Charles will be held Thursday November 14th at 5 pm at the Allen Memorial Home, 511-513 East Main Street, Endicott. Burial will be at the convenience of the family in Riverside Cemetery, Endicott. The family will receive friends Thursday at the Allen Memorial Home from 3 pm until Service time at 5 pm.