Charles Scamack Obituary

Charles Anthony "Chuck" Scamack, 86, from Gettysburg, PA, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family, on December 10, 2025.

Born in 1939 to Anthony J. and Delena (Doff Sotta) Scamack, in "Northside," Allegheny County, PA (Pittsburgh).

When Charles was five, his parents hitched up an Airstream trailer and travelled to southern California (San Jose), along with his uncles, aunts, and cousins. Some of them remained, while young Charles and the rest returned two years later, to their new home in the Pittsburgh suburb of Avalon.

He was an active kid, who loved to swim in the local pool, delivered groceries & prescriptions on his Road Master bike, was a school crossing guard, took up horseback riding, and learned figure skating well enough to skate once as an "extra" for the Ice Capades. After graduating from West View High School (Perryville, PA) in 1957, he did a short stint in the Army, was a race horse exercise rider in northern Virginia, taught ice skating in Chevy Chase, MD, worked for his cousin's electronics business, and was a lab tech for the National Bureau of Standards and Westvaco paper company.

He met his beloved wife of 60 years, Sharon Kathryn (Breeden) at a church dance, where his best friend, Auggie, also met his wife, Lorine. They moved to the Maryland countryside after marrying, where they enjoyed gardening, fishing, hunting, and keeping goats, ponies, and chickens.

In 1975, Chuck moved his family to Gettysburg to fulfill his dream of opening Chuck's Sporting Goods until retirement. Chuck loved people and made many life-long friends during this time.

Always a self-educator, he had many hobbies and loved to learn about many subjects. American history was his greatest interest, especially the Civil War, indigenous North American civilizations, and World War II.

Chuck's many, many hobbies included fly fishing, building and flying model airplanes and rockets, photography, astronomy, gardening, watching local wildlife, and birdwatching. He especially loved attracting many species of birds to his country home.

Charles is survived by his wife and five children, Kathryn Wholaver and (James Edward Wholaver), Anita Scamack, Mary Ann Best, Terese Scamack (Daniel Farmer), and Anthony Scamack (Amber Pritt). They were blessed with five grandchildren, Michael (Kaian), Devin, Aidyn (Jasmin), Alyssa (Donovan), and Delilah; his step-grandchildren Makenzie (Denell), Chloe, Sierra, Nate, and Emy; one great-granddaughter, Fionnlagh; and one step-great-granddaughter, Sophia. He lived for his family and they brightened his life.