Obituary of Charles Wesley Rohrbeck

Dr. Charles Wesley Rohrbeck, a retired Obstetrician and Gynecologist and former President of the OB-GYN Group of State College, Inc., passed away on March 26, 2024, while vacationing in Florida.

Chuck was born on July 11, 1932, in Belvidere, Illinois. He married Annette Searson on June 26, 1954, in the Faith United Church of Christ in State College, PA. Chuck is survived by his children, Cynthia Rohrbeck and her husband, Philip Wirtz; Jeffrey Rohrbeck and his wife, Stacey; Steven Rohrbeck and his wife, Kathy; and his grandchildren, Jacqueline Ridley and her husband, Charles; Scott Rohrbeck; Kurt Rohrbeck and his wife, Johanna Kaufman; Jason Rohrbeck; and Megan Wirtz. He was also blessed with five great-grandchildren: Peyton, Patience, Paisley, Charles Jeffrey (CJ) Ridley, and most recently, Louise Rohrbeck. Chuck was predeceased by his brother Edwin Rohrbeck and his sister Mary Bittner.

Chuck was a proud State College High School graduate in 1950, active in student government, athletics (varsity soccer and basketball), choruses, and band (first chair trumpet). He graduated from Penn State in 1954, where he sang (Glee Club, Baritone in the Varsity Quartet), was Acacia's Fraternity's "Outstanding Senior," and was a member of honorary societies, including Phi Beta Kappa. He received his MD from the University of Pennsylvania in 1958 and then completed his training in OB/GYN at Temple University.

Dr. Rohrbeck had a distinguished career in medicine. He served as a Captain in the Medical Corps of the United States Army and was the Chief of the Section of Obstetrics and Gynecology at McDonald Army Hospital (Fort Eustis, VA). He was the founder and president of the OB-GYN Group of State College. He was on the medical staff of Centre Community Hospital (now Mount Nittany Medical Center), where he served as chief of staff for two years and on the board for four years. He was a member of several professional societies, including the Centre County Medical Society, the Pennsylvania Medical Society, the American Medical Association, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Chuck served his community as President of the Rotary Club, the Penn State Renaissance Scholarship Board, and the Centre County Unit of the American Cancer Society, among others. He was the founder of the Family Planning Center of Central Pennsylvania.

He was a man of faith and a Saint Paul's United Methodist Church member for over 60 years. He was also a member of the Chancel Choir and was known for his baritone voice and solos, such as "Watchman Tell Us of the Night" during the midnight Christmas Eve service. He also sang at over 25 churches in the Centre County area.

Except for his years in the military and his training as a physician in Philadelphia, Chuck spent his life in State College, which he loved. Most of the 7,000 babies he delivered were born in the area. His family describes Chuck as "knowing everyone." He could find something familiar with a stranger in minutes. He loved jokes, golf, gardening, reading, bridge, sudoku, and crossword puzzles.

Chuck's philosophy was "I believe that we should contribute to our communities and society, always strive to improve ourselves, and maximize our opportunities to serve and influence others." Everyone who knew him recognized that he lived this ideal daily.

Instead of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St Paul's United Methodist Church, the Mount Nittany Medical Center, and Centre Volunteers in Medicine.

A Visitation will be Friday evening, April 5th, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., at Koch Funeral Home, and a memorial service will be at St Paul's United Methodist Church on April 6th at 10:30 a.m.