Charles Schlichter

Charles G. Schlichter, Jr., age 75, of Chambersburg, passed away suddenly of natural causes on Wednesday, October 14, 2020 in York Hospital. Born on August 25, 1945 in Chambersburg, he was a son of the late C. Graydon Schlichter and Betty Louise (Hopple) Schlichter.

He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Mary (Thornhill) Schlichter, whom he married on October 18, 1975; two sons, C. Graydon Schlichter III of Santa Monica, CA and Edwin T. and Sarah (Hurd) Schlichter and their two daughters, Camryn Grayce. and Hannah Lily., all of Brunswick, MD. Aside from his parents he was preceded in death by his brother, Thomas H. Schlichter.

A 1963 graduate of Chambersburg Area Senior High School where he played on the basketball team as well as participated in a number of other activities and organizations, Charlie earned his B.S. in Business Administration from Penn State in 1967 and his M.S. degree in Financial Services from The American College in 1980.

Charlie joined MONY Life Insurance Company on February 1, 1968 before joining his father, Graydon, in his Chambersburg business in 1969. He was a member of MONY’s production club for 35 years, 12 of which he was named in the Top 50 Agents, and he was inducted to the MONY Hall of Fame in 1980. He was named MONY Man of the Year in 1998 (Jacob W. Shoul Award), served on the MONY Field Advisory Board from 1987-2000, Compensation Committee from 1993-1998 (Chairman 1997-1998). He served on the Million Dollar Round Table for 26 years, becoming a life member in 1981, as well as holding membership in multiple other local, state, and national industry associations.

His community involvement included membership of King Street United Brethren Church and its Men’s Sunday School Class, C.A.D.C from 1991-98 where he served as president from 1993-95, Cumberland Valley Regional Development Corporation Board, Franklin County Foundation Advisory Board (1992-Present), former Director and Campaign Chairman of the Chambersburg Area United Way, and though not a performing artist himself, he was an active member of local arts institutions. He sat on the Totem Pole Playhouse Board of Directors from
1992-1994 and 1996-2004. He also served for a number of years on the board of directors for the Cumberland Valley School of Music.

Charlie was a member of the Chambersburg-Gotemba Sister City Committee for many years, serving as the Chairman of the Committee from 1982-2010. During his time on the committee he made numerous trips to Gotemba, specifically and Japan generally, as part of the Chambersburg delegation. Similarly he spearheaded efforts to host and entertain the Gotemba delegation during their visitations here.

After graduating from Penn State, he joined the Nittany Lion Club for life and was a Penn state football season ticket holder from 1969-2010, journeying to Happy valley to tailgate and support his alma mater in person regularly for much of that time.

Charlie was the owner of Schlichter Financial Services in Chambersburg, and his multiple professional designations included Chartered Life Underwriter, Chartered Financial Consultant, Certified Financial Planner, Accredited Estate Planner, Retirement Income Certified Professional, and Chartered Advisor for Senior Living.

Although both his vocation and civic contributions took up significant amounts of time, Charlie took time to relax as well. A longtime member of the Chambersburg Country Club, over the years he could be found on the tennis courts and the golf course and driving range, as well as frequenting the dining room. A consummate cardplayer, he was well on his way to being recognized as a bridge grandmaster, before determining the tournament schedule was taking him away from his family too often. A world traveler, aside from his trips to Japan mentioned above, he also journeyed to England and Wales, as well as Italy, but the visited locale he found most interesting was Egypt. His favorite band was the Beatles which he no doubt enjoyed on
the stereo of his most cherished car of all time, a 1967 Camaro. Always an avid reader, favorite authors included Tom Clancy and Alister MacLean, and more recently Sue Grafton. A passion of his for some years now were his morning sudoku puzzles.

As busy as he was with all of the above involvement and obligations, Charlie never faltered in his commitment to his family. He remained very close to his own father through Graydon Sr.’s life, and always made time for his wife, sons, and recent granddaughters, a loving grandfather, father, husband and son, regardless of the outside demands on his time and attention.

Charlie’s memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, October 23, in the sanctuary of King Street United Brethren Church, 162 E. King Street Chambersburg, with Rev. Lester F. Stine officiating. A private burial will precede the service in Norland Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the United Way of Franklin County, or to a local charity of the giver's choosing.

Charlie's service will be live-streamed at https://kingstreetchurch.com/funeral

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Thomas L. Geisel Funeral Home, Chambersburg. Condolences and memories may be shared on his Book of Memories page at geiselfuneralhome.com.