Posted on 08/19/2019
Charles A. Spadafora, 77, of Indiana, died Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019, at UPMC Shadyside Hospital in Pittsburgh. He was the husband of Linda (Reese) Spadafora. Chuck was born in Mount Pleasant on Sept. 15, 1941, a son of the late Cecil C. and Ann (Splendore) Spadafora. He graduated from Indiana High School, class of 1959, and went on to attend the United States Naval Academy. He graduated in 1963 with a B.S. in Engineering and, while at the academy, lettered in football, baseball and boxing. Upon graduation from the Naval Academy, Chuck chose to enter the Marines, where he attained the rank of captain and served in the Vietnam War. He returned a decorated combat veteran from the war and taught high school for a time in Maryland, serving as a football coach, golf coach and class adviser. He worked as a salesman for IBM before joining the family auto business in 1973. On June 24, 1972, he married Linda Reese and they lived their entire married life in Indiana, raising four children: Char-Lynn, Charles Jr., Sam and Jo-Una. He was proud to be grandfather to eight grandchildren. Throughout Chuck's professional life, he served many local boards and organizations, both within the public view and in many cases, behind the scenes. His guiding desire was to make Indiana a better place to live. Through his ownership of Colonial Motor Mart and in his leadership capacity in numerous organizations, he helped to bring hundreds of jobs to Indiana County over the years. Chuck was a member of the Board of Directors for S&T Bank for 28 years. His civic leadership and business acumen were recognized by several local entities. He received recognition as the Family Business of the Year award by both the IUP Eberly School of Business and the Pitt Katz School of Business. He was named Civic Leader of the Year in Indiana and was the first local male recipient of the Athena Award. Chuck, along with his father Cecil, were inducted into the Indiana County Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame in 2017. Chuck served as trustee for the US Naval Academy Foundation from 2011 to present and as a director for the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation since 2016. He was a member of St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church, where he served on the cemetery board since 1998, was president of the St. Vincent DePaul Conference from 2004 to present and was a member of the Knights of Columbus FR McNelis Council #1481. Chuck is survived by his wife, Linda; his children Char-Lynn O'Connell and her husband Andrew, of Baltimore, Md.; Charles Jr., of Indiana; Sam, of San Diego, Calif.; and Jo-Una Villani and her husband John, of Philadelphia. The following siblings survive him: W.H. Spadafora and his wife Candy, of Indiana; Jo-Una Spadafora, of New York; and Skip Spadafora and his wife Lisa, of Indiana. His eight grandchildren, Liliana, Graham and Harrison O'Connell; Charles, Thomas and Alissandra Spadafora; and Ana-Sophia and Declan Villani also survive him. He was preceded in death by his parents. Friends will be received at the Rairigh-Bence Funeral Home of Indiana, 965 Philadelphia St., on Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m., where the Knights of Columbus will recite the rosary at 7 p.m. Additional hours of visitation will be held on Monday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday at 10 a.m. at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church. Chuck will be laid to rest in the church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly suggests donations to Indiana Little League, P.O. Box 793 Indiana, PA 15701. Online condolences may be offered by visiting www.rbfh.net.
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