Obituary

Dr. Charles w. Topp, a native of wheeling, west virginia, son of ronald and edyth topp and brother of ronald and david topp, passed away early on the morning of june 10, 2017, his wife jeri was at his side at edgewood summit in charleston, west virginia. He was 84 years old.

He graduated from linsly military institute, where he excelled in basketball, football and track. His senior year he received a scholarship for the outstanding scholar athlete in the ohio valley athletic conference. He attended washington and lee university where he played football, basketball and was a member of phi kappa psi fraternity before graduating from the university of pittsburgh with a degree in mathematics. His math background led the us army to station him in huntsville, alabama with the ballistic missile agency at redstone arsenal where he met jeri, who would become his wife in 1959. They were married for 58 years.

Upon graduating from the university of pittsburgh dental school he received one of twenty-one air force rotating internships. He was stationed in north carolina and texas before completing an anesthesia residency in tennessee. He graduated from the university of texas with an oral and maxillofacial surgery degree before joining an oral surgery practice in charleston, west virginia with drs. Adams and adams. He cherished his relationships with the loyal staff there, and later enjoyed practicing with dr. Michael sokolosky. During his many years in charleston he was a member of trinity lutheran church, belonged to the lion’s club, had an active social life and travelled the world. He is a past president of the kanawha valley dental society and the west virginia society of oral and maxillofacial surgery, and a life member of both the southeastern society of oral and maxillofacial surgery and the american society of oral and maxillofacial surgery.

He was a handy man ““ good at doing a lot of things. He enjoyed sailing and travelling with family and friends and retired to sarasota, florida in 2001, where he enjoyed building homes for habitat for humanity, delivering meals on wheels with jeri, riding his bicycle ten miles a day and working in their yard and the st. Armand’s key lutheran church meditation garden.   he enjoyed the florida sunshine and the dock on the canal behind their house, eating out, fishing, raising pineapples, solving crossword puzzles and sudokus, along with sitting in the hot tub after long days of playing and working hard. He was a devoted grandfather. He and jeri moved to edgewood summit in charleston in march of 2017. He was kind and extremely generous and liked to tell stories. He was much loved by many ““ a larger-than-life character with an enormous heart of gold who loved his family, life and laughter and will be sorely missed, fondly remembered and never forgotten.

He is pre-deceased by his brother, ronald topp and his wife barbara, and his sister-in-law mary c. Topp.

He is survived by his wife jeri; daughter, nancy cook, son-in-law dr. Eric cook; son, charles p. Topp, daughter-in-law cynthia topp; grandsons, alex cook, adam cook and ronald topp; granddaughter dr. Nichelle cook renk, travis renk; and great-granddaughter charlotte; brother david p. Topp, sister-in-law ann fields brother-in-law noland fields; nieces and nephews laura eason, julia and rodney naylor, david and carol topp, janet and brian goodwin.

A memorial service will be held at barlow-bonsall funeral home in charleston, wv, with visitation starting at 1:00 p.M. And the service at 2:00 p.M., saturday, june 17, 2017.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: trinity lutheran church at 1600 kanawha blvd e, charleston, wv 25311; st. Armands key lutheran church at 40 north adams drive, sarasota, fl 34236; meals on wheels of sarasota at 421 n. Lime ave.Sarasota, fl 34237; habitat for humanity at 1757 n. East avenue, sarasota fl 34234; alzheimer’s association, florida gulf coast chapter, p.O. Box 96011, washington, dc 20090-6011.

You may send condolences to the family at: www.Barlowbonsall.Com

barlow bonsall funeral home has been entrusted to handle the arrangements.