Charles “Charlie” Edward Conklin, 91, of Pleasant Valley, NY and Vero Beach, FL died Tuesday, January 30, 2018, of natural causes at Vassar Brothers Medical Center. Charlie was born on February 21, 1926, in Poughkeepsie, NY to the late Preston Marshall and Agnes Curley Conklin. He graduated Poughkeepsie High School in 1944. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and joined the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment and earned a Purple Heart and Combat Infantry Badge while serving in the Philippines Liberation Campaign. He returned home and married Mabel “Betty” Gallagher on July 27, 1946, in Atlantic City, NJ.
In 1957, he formed Conklin Corporation and eventually employed over 200 people at locations in Pleasant Valley and Norcross, GA. Conklin Corp. won several awards for product excellence and in 2000, Charlie was named Business Man of the Year by the Poughkeepsie Journal. The company was sold in 2000. In addition to his family, one of Charlie’s enduring passions was aviation, and he was an accomplished pilot. His love of flying continued the rest of his life. A true champion for the community, Charlie, together with his late wife, Betty, gave generously to local organizations committed to improving people’s quality of life. Vassar Brothers Medical Center was one of those organizations. The Conklins’ extraordinary commitment to the Medica lCenter is seen in their gifts supporting the construction of the new wing to house maternity and cardiac surgery; the installation of new treatment technology in the Dyson Center for Cancer Care, and the multiple construction and renovation projects designed to expand and enhance the Medical Center’s emergency department, which proudly bears the name, “The Charles E. And Mabel E. Conklin Center for Emergency Care. On behalf of the Vassar Brothers Medical Center Foundation, they wish to express “Charlie”, and Betty, too, was more than just a donor: he was a friend who was beloved by the people at the Medical Center who had the privilege of knowing him.”
Dutchess Community College was also a recipient of Charlie and Betty’s generosity and DCC wishes to express the following: “Through his extraordinary vision, deep compassion and incredible dedication to his fellow man, Charlie Conklin was a quiet leader whose generosity transformed lives in our community. His remarkable legacy includes the Charles E. and Mabel E. Conklin full tuition DCC scholarship established with his beloved wife, which has provided two years, full-tuition scholarships to almost 500 Dutchess Community College students in the past 15 years. The admiration and love students, families, faculty and staff had for
Charlie was especially evident at the College’s 2016 graduation ceremony, where he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by the State University of New York. Charlie will live on in the hearts and minds of those whose lives he so profoundly touched, and he will continue to serve as an inspiration to us all.”
Charlie and Betty also endowed Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel at Marist College and we’re proud to support the Jaws of Life program for the Pleasant Valley Fire Department. He was loved and admired by all who knew him. Charlie is survived by his children, David Conklin of Millbrook, NY, Jeffrey Conklin of Boston, MA, Truro, MA and Miami Beach, FL., and his daughter and son-in-law, Ellen Conklin and Keith Kodat of Truro, MA. He is also survived by his loving grandchildren, Michael, Kyle, Maverick, Paige, Charlotte and Teddy, and his brother-in-law Charles Gallagher and his wife, Marilyn Gallagher, and their family.
Calling hours will be held on Thursday, February 1 from 4-7 PM at 110 Fulton Ave., Poughkeepsie, NY. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Friday 11 AM at St. Stanislaus Church, Pleasant Valley, NY. Burial will follow in St. Peter’s Cemetery. If desired, donations can be made to the Conklin Scholarship @ Dutchess Community College Foundation, 53 Pendell Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 or Vassar Brothers Medical Center Foundation, 45 Reade Place, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601.
