Charles L. Beatty Jr.

Charles L. Beatty Jr., age 81 of Jackson Township, Ohio, died peacefully on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, surrounded by family after a two-year battle with cancer. He was born on Oct. 19, 1935 in Fairchance, Pennsylvania, to Charles Sr. and Leona (Guthrie) Beatty, and was the oldest of five children. He earned a degree in mathematics from Waynesburg College in southwest Pennsylvania. Drafted into the Army between the Korean and Vietnam wars, Charles was stationed at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico where he calculated the trajectory of missiles. This led to a career in aerospace, first at NWL in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he was part of a team that designed landing gear for NASA’s first Lunar Module. Later, as director of marketing for Aircraft Braking Systems (later K&F Industries) in Akron, Ohio, he traveled the world selling parts for military and civilian aircraft.

Charles was a diehard Pittsburgh Steelers fan. He loved camping trips, a good vodka martini on the rocks with an olive (just for flavor; he always gave it to his wife to eat), and he read every Stephen King novel ever written. He loved to talk politics and consume news, sometimes even reading a newspaper, watching cable news and listening to talk radio simultaneously. He believed strongly in individual rights and personal responsibility, but never failed to help people in need. He was an early adopter of technology, but never got a smartphone and had no use for social media.

Charles is survived by his wife of 43 years, Louisa (Roush) Beatty; stepson Christopher Bertsch of Richmond, Va.; daughter Shannon (Luke) Gilchrist and granddaughter Samantha Gilchrist of Columbus, Ohio.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the

Aultman Compassionate Care Center

.