Charles T. Pridgeon, Jr.
Charles T. Pridgeon, Jr, died in Marietta, Ohio on January 27, 2026. He was born in the Panama Canal Zone on April 10, 1939, to Dorothy Killman Pridgeon and Charles T. Pridgeon, Sr. His father was a Naval dental officer aboard the USS Charleston, stationed in the Zone; over the years Charles Sr was stationed at various places, so that Charlie’s early years were quite interesting. At different times the family lived in Geneva, New York; Walnut Creek, California, and; various places in and around Baltimore, Maryland.
Charlie graduated from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in 1957, and then went on to achieve a BA at the College of William and Mary in 1961. He completed his education at Duke University by gaining a MA and then PhD in English in 1969. He began teaching at Marietta College, Marietta, Ohio, in 1968, and there remained until his retirement in 2001. His favorite areas of teaching were American fiction, film and lit studies, and technical/business writing. Over his 33 years at the college, he was a much lauded and beloved teacher. His two children, Chip and Merritt, can attest to the admiration and often outright love many students had for Dr. Pridgeon, as it was a common occurrence for them to bump into current and former students, who would, on learning their relation to their teacher, cry out, “You’re Dr. Pridgeon’s son/daughter? Wow! He’s my favorite teacher ever!” Indeed, Charlie became friends with a good number of his former students, with many of these friendships lasting right up until the time of his death.
Among Charlie’s many academic accomplishments: chair of the English department from 1995-1999; a founding member and director of the Master of Arts in Liberal Learning program; and recipient of the Harness Teaching Award. He published and presented many papers on film and literature and on Civil War literature. Charlie’s dissertation, Insanity in American Fiction, has been cited by many academic publications over the years.
Charlie additionally was involved in his community. He was a long-term member of the Washington County Behavioral Health Board, and a member of the National Society of Arts and Letters. He served, at different times, as treasurer, vice president, and president of both these organizations. After his retirement in 2001 he taught and took classes through the Learning in Retirement program, and served as treasurer, too. In recent years, he joined the Marietta Reading Club and the Antiques Club.
Charlie had a great number of interests and hobbies, such as collecting landscape paintings, antique coffee tins, carved wooden birds, and vintage postcards of Marietta. People visiting his house often likened it to a small delightful museum – and that is certainly what Charlie was going for! He was an avid traveler, visiting many places in the United States and Europe, usually with his partner, Carol Steinhagen.
Somehow, with all his academic achievements, community commitments, and many interests, Charlie still found time to be a great father to Merritt and Chip. Among other things, he read to them and dragged them to art museums and historic homes when they were younger – all of this led to both becoming in their adult years great readers and lovers of museums. He was overall a gentle, loving and kind father.
Charlie is survived by: partner Carol Steinhagen; son Charles T. Pridgeon III; daughter Merritt J. Pridgeon (Phillip J. Closius); grandson Matthias Closius Pridgeon, and; sister Sandra Fox.
A memorial service will be held and McClure-Schafer-Lankford Funeral Home in Marietta, Ohio, on Friday, March 20, 2026, with family greeting attendees beginning at 1:00pm and the service starting at 2pm. A gathering for friends and family will follow at Charlie’s house from 4:00 to 6:00pm. Messages of sympathy may be sent at www.Lankfordfh.com.