Charles Lee Barngrover passed away on July 30, 2023, at the age of 93. He was born in Blanchester, OH on December 7, 1929, to Odra Lee and Bertha Driver Barngrover. While still a young boy, his family moved to Bethel, Ohio, where Charles attended Bethel Elementary School and Bethel High School, graduating in 1947. It was there that he met his wife-to-be, Thelma Elaine Hauser. They married in 1947 and had four children. Elaine predeceased Charles in 2004 after 57 years of marriage.
In 1951, Charles joined the US Air Force. After basic training, he was stationed in Anchorage, Alaska, rising to the rank of staff sergeant. He received an honorable discharge in 1955, after which he returned to the Cincinnati area, settling in Amelia, Ohio. He attended the University of Cincinnati, earning a Bachelor's degree in Economics, a Master's degree in Business Administration, and a PhD in Finance. Upon graduation with the Masters degree, he embarked on a 33-year career at UC as a finance professor, taking on the roles of Associate Dean and Acting Dean of the Business College, and retired in 1996.
During retirement, Charles immersed himself in several hobbies, including building a replica of a 1927 Mercedes Benz Gazelle and restoring a 1931 Ford Model A, a 57 Ford Thunderbird, and a 1961 Nash Metropolitan. For the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500, his Nash Metro was one of 50 classic cars invited to ceremonially drive laps around the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Other hobbies included the creation of dozens of beautiful stained-glass pieces in his studio at his home in Anderson Township, Ohio. He was also a disc jockey for several years at a Batavia, Ohio radio station, WOBO, where he played Big Band selections and regaled his audience with tales of life in the 30s and 40s.
Charles is survived by his second wife, Taraka Stara Barngrover, his children: Timothy (Joan), Scott (Nancy), Wendy (Chip Finke), Mark (Lisa); eight grandchildren: Christopher (Kara), Benjamin (Kelsey), Anne (Vedran Husic), Kristen (James Clear), Nicholas, Alexander, Zachary (Hannah), and Jackson; and five great-grandchildren: Kennedy, Cecilia, Cassidy, Savannah, and Logan. Taraka's children are Michael, Lauren, and Jena.
Service at T P WHITE & SONS Funeral Home 2050 Beechmont Ave. Mt. Washington on Fri. Aug. 4, at 2 PM. Friends may visit at the funeral home on Fri. from 12 Noon to 2 PM.
Contributions may be made to Neediest Kids of All http://www.neediestkidsofall.com/ or to the American Heart Association https://www.heart.org/
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