Charles R. Nippert, Jr.

Charles “Chuck” R. Nippert, Jr., 78, of Lower Pottsgrove Township, PA, passed away peacefully at Reading Hospital on May 11, 2025.

Born in Allentown, PA, Chuck was the son of the late Charles Raymond Nippert, Sr. and Eleanor Mae (Cassel) Nippert. He was the devoted husband of Carolyn (Cochrane) Nippert for 52 years, sharing a life shaped by hard work, faith, and the unmistakable sound of the Grateful Dead or Led Zeppelin playing on repeat.

A lifelong learner and educator, Chuck spent most of his career as a Chemical Engineering Professor at Widener University, where he inspired generations of students with not just his knowledge, but his enthusiasm in the classroom, sense of humor, and genuine interest in practical engineering solutions. Earlier in his career, he worked at Kawecki-Berylco Industries Inc., and he also contributed to the development of multiple patents. From 2017 to 2025, he served as a school board director for the Pottsgrove School District, where he brought both wisdom and heart to the role. Through his work at the Sanatoga Grange, he was instrumental in initiating an environmental science award at Pottsgrove High School.

Chuck was a man of many passions. A train enthusiast since childhood, he could spend hours talking about locomotives, model railroads, and the history of American railways. He was an active member of the Stichter Masonic Lodge, the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, the Sanatoga Grange, the Democratic Party and the Lower Pottsgrove Historical Society. He also found deep community and connection through his faith at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church in Douglassville, and before that, at Christ Episcopal Church and St. James Lutheran Church in Pottstown.

To those who knew him, Chuck was easy to talk to, thoughtful, and full of dry wit. He had a knack for shifting perspectives, and people often found themselves reflecting on his words long after their conversations. He loved a good project (whether it was woodworking or tearing up the floors in the house), politics, Shakespeare, and time spent with family. He will be deeply missed.

He is survived by his beloved wife Carolyn and their four children: Collin, Philip, Andrew, and Corinne, along with many grandchildren and several great-grandchildren, each of whom brought him great pride and joy. He was preceded in death by his younger brother, Thomas Nippert.

A viewing will be held on Friday, May 16, 2025, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Dengler-Sowers Funeral Home & Crematory, LLC, 144 N. Spruce St., Birdsboro, PA 19508. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 9:30 AM at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, 1188 Benjamin Franklin Hwy East, Douglassville, PA 19518, followed by fellowship and light refreshments. Burial will be private.

Flowers are welcome, and memorial contributions may also be made to the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Foundation (cjdfoundation.org/donations) or the Glaucoma Research Foundation (glaucoma.org).

Dengler-Sowers Funeral Home & Crematory, LLC, Birdsboro, PA is in charge of arrangements.