Charles A. Barone, "Charlie", of Phoenixville formerly of Bryn Mawr, PA., passed away on October 12, 2018. He was 64.
Son of the late Michael C. Barone and Martha Brown Barone, he was born on January 22, 1954 in Bryn Mawr, PA.
Charlie was the devoted father of Adam & Luke Barone. He is also survived by his partner Ruth A. Byerly, brother Michael C. Barone, Jr. and sister Barbara A. Castelli (Louis). He was also the dear uncle of Tedi Engler (Shaun), Danielle Castelli and Alexandra Stokholm (Brandon) and great-uncle of Maxine Amelia Engler.
Relatives and friends are invited to a Viewing on Wednesday October 17 from 10 to 11 AM with Funeral Service to commence at 11 AM at
McConaghy Funeral Home, 328 W. Lancaster Ave., Ardmore
,
PA.
Interment will follow in Valley Forge Memorial Gardens, King of Prussia, PA.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Pennsylvanian SPCA, 350 E. Erie Ave., Phila. PA 19134.
The Life & Times of Charlie Barone
Born and raised in Bryn Mawr, Charlie was fascinated by all manner of motorized vehicles from childhood; this would later be the
foundation of his long and notable automotive-related career.
Raised with brother Michael and sister Barbara by loving and accomplished parents, Charlie was always proud of his father's 8th Air Corps service and capture by the Nazi's after being shot down over Yugoslavia in WWII. He was very close to his mother, who was an
R.N. at Bryn Mawr hospital. The local, large Barone clan also had Uncles and cousins that Charlie was close to.
After attending Lower Merion schools Charlie attended the Hyde boarding school in Bath, Maine for his high school completion. He
returned there often for reunions and had good friends, including Chris Mann.
Charlie made many close and life-long friends around Rose's Sunoco station next to Bryn Mawr hospital, which was the center of
their universe in '70-'72. By his friends, Nevin, Bob, Joe and Jim, Charlie had been given the nickname "Frizzy" due to the
unforgettable kinky and afro sized hair he sported. The nickname stuck with his closest friends for life.
Charlie attended the University of Colorado at Denver and after a semester decided college wasn't for him. Charlie lived for a time
with friends in a geodesic dome in Nederlands, CO. He and his husky lived the mountain life.
With support from his father, Charlie owned and operated Mainline Service and Supply in Ardmore in the early 70's. After selling that
business, he opened up his first small unofficial body shop in Ardmore; learned the art of bodywork and painting.
While Charlie loved fast cars, motorcycles and even hangliding, they were not always kind to him. From his teen years on, Charlie was
involved in several serious accidents, first on a motorcycle, then several cars, even breaking his arm learning to hanglide with Bob
and Jim on local hills.
Loving his experience with the West, Charlie headed there again and began work as a "landman" for an oil company during the oil
boom and worked around Wyoming and western states researching land titles to secure mineral rights. He met his wife Dyan, and
brought her back East and married. They raised two fine sons, Adam and Luke, at their property on Conestoga Rd in Malvern. Young
Luke helped his Dad on car projects, sharing his automotive passion. Adam excelled in writing and shared Charlie's love of music.
Upon return to the East, Charlie again pursued his passion for cars and managed body shops for several dealerships in the
Philadelphia area before opening his own shop, Charlestown Autobody, until a chronic leg infection forced him to give it up.
While Charlie loved the technology and beauty of cars and motorcycles, his terrible luck with several accidents left lasting damage
that plagued him over the years. He knew the orthopedic surgeons and the inside of Paoli hospital better than anyone should have.
After Charlie had to step away from his auto body business, he leveraged that experience to become a technical contributor for a
Chilton publishing auto body trade magazine ABRN and started his career as an analyst and writer in the field that he loved.
Charlie then started his own business and became a nationally recognized pioneer, advocate and expert in auto damage repair
assessment of repaired autos, specializing in high-end and exotic autos. The insurance companies didn't appreciate the work he
championed, as he regularly faced them in court as an expert witness for Lawyer partners like Bill, helping clients recoup the proper
compensation from their insurers. He was interviewed on national TV news about the emerging field of diminished value of repaired
autos, helping support the passing of related legislation through those cases.
Charlie was always very socially conscious, well-read and politically astute, had a great sense of humor and could laugh himself silly
watching Monty Python, Two and a half Men, and the Dave Chappell show with friends.
Charlie loved his friends and would always be available to help a friend in need, whether it was picking them up when they called for
a ride broken down somewhere far away, moving homes, giving car and life advice, or lending an ear and perspective to a friend's
troubles. If you were lucky enough to count him as a friend, you couldn't ask for a more loyal or trustworthy pal.
As Charlie's health deteriorated over the last two years, he was lovingly cared for by his faithful and dedicated partner, Ruth. She did
everything she could to make his life as comfortable and love-filled as possible; she was truly a blessing to Charlie and his family, as
she cared for him in these final days.
Charlie will be deeply and forever missed and thought of by those who had the privilege to share his life.
