Charles Clifford York

Charles Clifford York, age 89, of Hilton Head Island, passed away on March 27, 2023.

Charles (Charlie, to some) was born on June 27, 1933, in Buckhorn, Kentucky, to Clifton and Ethel (Pace) York. After Charles graduated from Kingsport High School in Tennessee, he attended Berea College in Kentucky where he earned his bachelor’s degree and made the list of Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, 1954-55 Edition.

During his sophomore year, Charles was introduced to Sadie Marie Stines, of Marshall, North Carolina who just entered the School of Nursing program at Berea. Charles and Sadie dated for 3 ½ years and were married in June 1956 and went on to have four children…girls, all of them: Karen Marie, Katherine Leigh, Leslie Sue, and Elizabeth Ellen.

The York’s moved to Memphis, Tennessee where Charles attended the University of Tennessee College of Medicine and was a member of the Phi Rho Sigma Fraternity. After Charles graduated and received his medical license in 1959, they moved to Roanoke, Virginia where he completed his internship with Roanoke Memorial Hospital.

While in Roanoke, Charles enlisted in the U.S. Air Force where he served as a Captain during the Vietnam War. He was stationed overseas in Morocco where he worked as a medical doctor until August 1965.

Upon their return to the states, the York family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where Charles spent the next 30 years as a radiologist, starting with his residency at the VA Hospital. Charles, along with three other partners shared a practice for close to 20 years at Huron Road Hospital. Charles and Sadie bought their first home in Shaker Heights, and when it came time for horses, they moved the family to 3 acres in Chagrin Falls. Charles and Sadie were members of the Cleveland Racquet Club in Beachwood for more than 20 years, Charles even served as president of the club for one of them. Charles moved to Green Road Hospital when their practice merged with Hill & Thomas, where he remained until he retired.

After many family vacations and eventually a vacation home of their own, it was no surprise that Charles and Sadie retired to Hilton Head Island. For the next 25 years, Charles and Sadie spent their days together in a home at the south end of Sea Pines with a spectacular view of the marsh and winding channel it gave way to Calibogue Sound. His photographs of the landscape beyond their backyard were a testament to the beauty of the earth and sky as the sun set over the treetops on Daufuskie Island.

Charles was a pragmatic and thoughtful man well known for his dry sense of humor and quick wit, which were always at the ready. He proudly walked all four of his girls down the aisle and was always there to help and support them regardless of the circumstance. He was an avid tennis player and while in Cleveland, a challenging squash player. He loved dogs, especially Sebastian, and thought he hated cats until he grew to love one named Brian. He fished for hours from his dock or in his kayak, sometimes alone, sometimes teaching one of his grandchildren. He poured through bird books and CDs of bird songs to identify the birds in his backyard and out in the marsh. He spent hundreds of hours looking at wildlife and points of interest through the lens of a camera and even won an award for one of his photographs. He taught himself how to play the banjo and bought a 5’ telescope to study the planets and learned each constellation. He loved traveling, drinking good wine and classical music, especially Beethoven. And he puttered…he puttered most of the day away around the yard, around the house, around the pool, and back and forth between the garage and shed. When asked what he did that day, he’d say in a long slow drawl, “I have no idea, but it took me all day to do it.” Sadly, dementia took from him many of these memories to the extent that he wouldn’t have recognized the man portrayed here as himself.

Charles was predeceased by his father and mother, Clifton and Ethel York of Kingsport, Tennessee; grandson, Todd J. Beitle of Birmingham, Alabama; sister, Sue Gray (and JoAnne) of Melbourne, Florida.

Charles is survived by his wife, Sadie York; daughters, Karen York of Alabaster, Alabama; Katherine Beitle of Alabaster, Alabama; Leslie (Cliff) York-Hubbard of Northeast, Maryland; and Elizabeth (Jeff) Swensen of Oakmont, Pennsylvania; grandchildren, Leah, Michael, Sadie, Evie, Ben, and Lila; great-grandchildren, Elliot and Sophia; and brothers William (Bill) York of Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina and Robert York of Kingsport, Tennessee.       `