Obituary

Charles McElwee of Charleston passed away on December 18, 2024, at the age of ninety-seven.

He was born in the family home at Dunmore, Pocahontas County, the son of Winfred McElwee and Merle Moore McElwee, both of whom predeceased him many years ago. He attended a two-room elementary school in Dunmore and then went to Green Bank High School about five miles from his residence.

After high school, he was admitted to Glenville State College for its four-year program to qualify as a high school teacher, which he completed in 1949. That Fall he was employed to teach at his alma mater, Green Bank High School. He taught there for the school year 1949-1950 and for the first six weeks of school year 1950-1951, when he was drafted into the Army during the Korean War.

After nearly two years of military service in that War, he was honorably discharged in the Summer of 1952 in time to enroll in WVU Law School that Fall. He completed his law degree in the Spring of 1955. Graduating near the top of his class, he was elected to The Order of the Coif, an American Honor Society for law school graduates.

Immediately before graduation from Law School, Charles married Barbara Ella Clark, his first wife known as Babs, a high school teacher in Monongalia County. He and Babs moved to Charleston where his first law job was as an Assistant Attorney General. Thereafter, he practiced law with several law firms. In 1983, he founded the law firm of Robinson & McElwee, with E. Glenn Robinson, who passed away in February 2013.

During his legal career, Charles practiced in many disciplines including banking law, public utility regulation, litigation, constitutional law, and appellate advocacy. Some of his public utility clients were American Electric Power, Columbia Gas, and AT&T. After withdrawing from the active practice of law, he worked for several years for the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.

He and Babs were the parents of two sons, both of whom graduated from WVU Law School. Babs passed away on February 24, 1986.

Charles married his second wife, Kemp Littlepage Smith, in 1989, and they have been a devoted couple for the past thirty-five years and she a loving caretaker during his recent illness.
An indefatigable reader and writer, Charles was a frequent op-ed writer and a published contributor to both the Charleston Gazette-Mail and the Huntington Herald-Dispatch on deeply researched subjects of public interest. He was also dedicated to the improvement of governance, economic well-being, and public education in his beloved State and undertook many initiatives in those areas.

He is survived by his two sons, Charles (his wife, Ellen) and Douglas, and five grandchildren, Sam, Lily, Charles, Elisabeth and Willa Augusta.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to HospiceCare, 1606 Kanawha Blvd. W., Charleston, WV 25387.

Condolences may be sent to his family at www.barlowbonsall.com .

Barlow Bonsall Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.