Charles H. Holbrook III

Charles Henry Holbrook III, 77, passed away peacefully on July 11, 2026, at Masternick Memorial in New Middletown, Ohio surrounded by his loving family.

Charles “Chuck” was born on May 17, 1949, in Tarentum, PA to Charles Henry Holbrook, Jr. and Isabella “Elizabeth” (Silvestri) Holbrook.

In addition to his parents, Chuck is preceded in death by his wife of 36 years, Jane Elizabeth (Irwin) Holbrook of Harrisburg, PA and her parents Cecil and Kathryn (Diehl) Irwin; his companion of 7 years, Kathleen “Kathy” Evans of Harrisburg, PA; his sister-in-law, Ollie Mae (Irwin) Cunningham and nephew, Carl M. Cunningham of Shannondale, PA. He is also preceded by several aunts and uncles, with whom he had many cherished memories from childhood through adulthood.

He is survived by his 3 daughters: Kimberly (Holbrook) Fletcher, her husband Andrew and their son, Ian, of Bel Air, MD; Christina (Holbrook) Lahneman, her husband Thomas and their daughters, Jane and Grace, of Royersford, PA; Sarah (Holbrook) Ely, her husband Benjamin and their children, Eliana, Griffin and Sylvie of Poland, OH; a sister, Anita McCluer of Gustavus, OH. He is also survived by his brothers-in-law: Howard (Susie) Irwin, James (Susan) Irwin, Charley Cunningham, and several beloved nieces, nephews and cousins.

Raised in Warren, OH, Chuck was a 1967 graduate of John F. Kennedy High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH. He began his teaching career at Warren G. Harding in Warren, Ohio. After moving to Harrisburg, PA, he taught in the Central Dauphin School District at Linglestown Jr. High School and Bishop McDevitt High School. He fondly recalled and enjoyed his time as a Business Education teacher and coached basketball during that time. Following his teaching career, he was an Educational Advisor for the Pennsylvania State Department of Education until his retirement in 2011.

Chuck enlisted in the ROTC program while at Bowling Green State University and proudly served our country in the 28th Infantry Division of the Pennsylvania State National Guard for 38 years, retiring as a Major. He proudly maintained a keystone garden at the Harrisburg Military Post, which he fondly referred to as “the castle”.

Chuck was an active member of Holy Name of Jesus Parish throughout his time in Harrisburg, PA. He served as secretary on the parish council for many years. He later became a Eucharistic Minister, serving both the parish and the military as a chaplain’s assistant. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus and American Legion.

In his retirement, Chuck continued giving back to his community and lending a helping hand wherever he could. He helped serve meals after funeral masses at Holy Name of Jesus Parish. He also volunteered with his companion, Kathy, to provide communion and comfort to the sick at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. As a board member for Veteran’s Outreach in Youngstown, OH, he used his knowledge and experience to help guide their mission to respectfully honor and serve all veterans. Chuck loved spending time with his children and grandchildren – especially playing baseball, reading, fishing, kayaking, or playing cards. He could always be found tinkering around in his garage or yard, always with a project underway.

Chuck was always ready with open arms to help anyone in need and uplifted others with his positive outlook and quirky sense of humor. He resided in the Harrisburg, PA area for over 50 years and never failed to tell others to “Have a quality Keystone Day”.

Family and friends welcomed on Friday, July 17, 2026 to Holy Name of Jesus Parish, 6150 Allentown Blvd, Harrisburg, PA 17112 from 11:00 AM until time of Mass of Christian Burial at 1:00 PM.

Floral tributes are welcome, or if preferred, donations may be made in memory of Major Charles Holbrook to Veterans' Outreach in Youngstown, OH. Both gestures are equally appreciated by the family. Floral tributes can be sent to Holy Name of Jesus.

Donations to Veterans' Outreach can be made online to:

https://veteransoutreach.org/in-memoriam/

Or checks can be mailed to: Veterans' Outreach, 17 Colonial Drive, Youngstown, OH 44505