Charles William Oliphant – Roscoe
On Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, Charles William Oliphant, loving husband, father, grandfather and mason, passed away at the age of 86. He was preceded in death by his father, Charles; his mother, Ellen; and his brother, Larry. He is survived by his wife, Retta; his son, Gary; his daughter-in-law, Becky; his two grandchildren, Patrick and Christopher; his sister, Lorraine; and numerous nieces and nephews. Charles was born on April 24, 1934, in Pricedale. He married his wife, Retta, in 1955, giving birth to his son, Gary, the following year. He served in the U.S. Army, worked in the Mon Valley area and lived in Roscoe until his retirement, when he and his wife moved to the shores of Wilbur-By-The-Sea, Fla., to be closer to their grandchildren. But Charles is not merely a collection of biographical information. He excelled at making the perfect milkshake; he could find any candy his wife Retta had hidden around the house, no matter how diligently she tried to conceal it; he would take any opportunity to water the lawn or wash his car, when no one was looking, despite more than a handful of falls, as his final act of rebellion. He watched his favorite two sports teams, the Orlando Magic and Pittsburgh Steelers until the very end. His style was impeccable – a rotating collection of ribbed hospital socks, particularly favoring a daring pair of yellow ones, Fruit of the Loom plain white T-shirts and a pair of basketball shorts, as a homage to his sprightly youth where he led his high school’s basketball team. He took extreme pride in his grandchildren, Patrick and Christopher. PapPap never missed a game or event of theirs to cheer in the front row, nor an opportunity to shower praise on them whenever he got the chance. Charles has passed, but is not relegated to pictures on the fridge. Instead, he lives in the memories and moments he gave to those whom he loved and who loved him in return.
