Charles "Charlie" Edward Pirtle

Boardman - Dr. Charles Edward Pirtle, age 82, of Boardman, died on Saturday, June 22, 2024, at Mercy Health St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital.

Charlie was born in a sharecropper shack with a dirt floor on the Tennessee Kentucky border on September 24, 1941, to Clarence and Margaret (Johnson) Pirtle.  As a young boy he helped work the fields by driving the mule.  His brother Larry arrived August 11, 1945. When the tobacco market tumbled the family moved to Louisville, KY and eventually settled in Geneva, OH. Charlie developed life-long friends there and played football for Spencer High School.  He was interested in drawing and a talented artist.  After graduation, he and several friends joined the Air Force.  Charlie was stationed at Offutt Air Base outside of Omaha and worked in the field of intelligence where he began to develop his love for geography and national security. While at Offutt he met his wife, Mary Leach, on a blind date. His last year of service he was stationed in Korea.  When discharged, he returned to Geneva and entered the Ashtabula campus of Kent State.  He and Mary married June 19, 1965. Charlie earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Kent State with his master’s thesis focused on forest hydrology.  Not satisfied yet, he went on to enroll in the Geography PhD program at the University of Pittsburgh. After reaching ABD status, however, he changed course and earned his PhD in International Relations.

It was then time to move on and early in the 1980’s, Charlie and Mary sold their farm and horses and moved to Maryland. There he began a long-lasting relationship with the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University where he first served as the Director of the BSFS Program. He went on to become Dean of Faculty and worked to attract world-class faculty to both the School and the Department of Government. He was best known for his course “Map of the Modern World”, which his students still remember today.  As a student of political geography and geopolitics, Charlie's goal was to pass on to his student's both a deep knowledge of and love for the natural and social sciences. Through out his career Charlie had the opportunity to travel extensively by presenting lectures on cruise ships.

Charlie's brother Larry passed away in 2005 and upon retirement Charlie and Mary returned to Ohio to be near his brother’s family. Charlie continued his love of learning. He always had a book in his hand and was working on writing a book of his own. However, there’s nothing he enjoyed more than being with family whether it was having dinner, celebrating birthdays or just hanging out.

Charlie loved people--if it was a hungry traveler at at the door he'd cook him breakfast; if it was Henry Kissinger they would discuss world events. He was a lifetime member of the Church of Christ and was currently a member of the Columbiana Church of Christ. His passing will leave a big gap in many lives.

Charlie is survived by his wife, Mary with whom he had just celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary on June 19th; his best 4-legged buddy, Vito; his sisters-in-law, Marian Pirtle and Marilyn Franklin; his nieces, Teresa Etzler, Lisa Pirtle and Renee Franklin; his nephews, Chad Pirtle, David Pirtle and Neal Franklin; along with all of his great grandnieces and great grandnephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Margaret and Clarence and his brother, Larry.

Services will be held at a later date.

Memorial donations may be made to the Legacy Dog Rescue of Ohio, www.ldrofohio.org

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Warrick-Kummer-Rettig Funeral Home, Columbiana.

Family and friends may view this obituary and send condolences at www.familycareservices.com

Legacy Dog Rescue of Ohio
Web: http://www.ldrofohio.org