Charlie Berridge was born in Doylestown Hospital on May 27, 1948 to Ira and Helen Berridge. He attended Simmons Elementary School.

In high school he was on the baseball and winter track teams.

Charlie married Sally Houseal (UM ’67) in July of 1968, and 2 weeks later was drafted into the Marines. He completed Special Ops training in Ft Benning GA where he graduated (at the top of his class) as a Black Beret in 1969. While in Vietnam, he was a radio operator attached to a Korean Marine Unit, and spoke Korean. He returned to the states at the end of his tour having attained the rank of Sargent. Charlie was always proud to have been a Marine!

Following his military service, he received an associate degree from Montgomery County Community College. He and Sally eventually moved to the Norristown area. After working for a charter bus company for a few years, he landed a job with SEPTA.

At the time of our 1986 reunion, he listed his hobbies as tennis, golf, and home remodeling. Perhaps it should have read: GOLF, GOLF, GOLF. As Charlie lived for golfing. They golfed as a family, and he golfed whenever he could. In 1990, after hitting balls for a few hours, he complained of chest pains. At the hospital they gave him the option of angioplasty or open heart surgery to correct his blockage. Charlie chose angioplasty because he could get back on the links sooner. Less than a week later, on June 5, 1990 he died of a heart attack.

 At the time of his death, he was the chief Automotive Officer of the SEPTA Bus Division, overseeing nearly 1,000 employees. The Wyoming Ave shop was renamed (and remains to this day) the “Charles I Berridge Shop”.

He and Sally had 2 children- Charlie (1969), who is the father of Lizzie; and Kelly (1975), who is the mother of Evan and Sophie. How Charlie would have loved to know these three special grandkids!

Charlie is entombed, at heart level, in a mausoleum at St Patrick’s Cemetery in Norristown.

Many thanks to Sally Berridge, his widow, for supplying this information and photos. “she loved him then, and she loves him still”.