The longtime Oaklyn resident and public servant is remembered as a loving father and committed public servant who took special care to support seniors in his community.
By Matt Skoufalos | August 15, 2024
Oaklyn Councilman Charles “Chuck” Lehman. Credit: Borough of Oaklyn.
On August 7, Oaklyn lost one of its most committed residents, Councilman Charles “Chuck” Lehman.
He was 80.
Lehman, a 30-year Philadelphia schoolteacher, was remembered by his fellow citizens Wednesday evening in a celebration of life held at the borough fire hall.
Those gathered included his immediate and extended family, his colleagues in local government, first responders, and friends and neighbors from throughout the community.
They shared stories about Lehman’s gentle good nature, his quiet persistence in advocating for those causes in which he believed, and his overall love of the community to which he dedicated years of volunteer service.
At that service, Lehman’s daughter, Julia, spoke about the impact her father had on her life, invoking the spirit of one of his exemplars, Fred Rogers, as she asked the room to consider the people “who have helped you become who you are — those who have cared about you, and wanted what was best for you in life.”
“His presence itself was one of his greatest gifts, to myself, my siblings, and his grandchildren,” Julia Lehman said. “He was a partner, teacher, friend, and staunch advocate for his local community, but I do think being a dad was his most beloved role.
“He believed so deeply in each of our unique talents and proclivities and upheld them all in equal measure… I know that deep inside me there is a sense of worthiness that is built on a foundation of his belief in me,” she said.
“And I know I would not have the bravery or fortitude to be an artist or writer or teacher without that sturdy support,” Julia Lehman continued. “What an indescribable gift. What a kind of magic, to have someone love you into being.”
Teresa Andris, Julia’s childhood dance teacher at the Bowman School of Dance in Cherry Hill, remembered Chuck Lehman as a “dance dad” who was “always there, always waiting.
“For as many opinions and insights as he had, he was sort of waiting in the wings; a gentle giant,” Andris said. “I always felt his strength was in the pocket.”
Oaklyn Mayor Greg Brandley said the borough senior center will be named for the late Chuck Lehman. Credit: Matt Skoufalos.
Oaklyn Mayor Greg Brandley, who announced at the event that the borough would be naming its soon-to-be-completed Senior Center in honor of Lehman, described him as one of the most experienced members of the borough council, with a knowledge of local history “second to nobody.”
“If you had a question, he had an answer,” Brandley said. “He wanted Oaklyn to be the best, always.”
Brandley said the borough council is still working to identify a replacement to fill Lehman’s unexpired term on the local governing body. Whomever is appointed will defend that appointment on the ballot in November.
Although he played a number of roles in the community, Lehman was deeply and especially devoted to the senior population of Oaklyn. In the days before electronic communications, he would assemble them for luncheons by personal phone calls, gather them in the Oaklyn Fire Hall, and deliver a talk, often on a local historical topic.
“It’s hard when you lose key people like Chuck, for sure,” Brandley said. “He touched a lot of people in town,”
Former Oaklyn mayor Bob Forbes, who served alongside Lehman for years in the local government, remembered his late colleague for his passion as much as for his meticulous, inquisitive style of governance.
The Borough of Oaklyn paid homage to late Councilman Chuck Lehman on its marquee. Credit: Matt Skoufalos.
“When Chuck came on council, he slowed me down, and we talked about everything,” Forbes said.
“It was a good exercise in patience.”
Lehman’s commitment to local history could only be served justly by potentially becoming a piece of local lore himself.
Forbes wondered whether his former colleague might have been the first sitting council member to pass while in office.
“Leave it to Chuck to make the history books that way,” he said.
For all that Lehman didn’t know, he applied himself to learning. When his children expressed an interest in soccer, Lehman took out every book on the game from the local library, and volunteered his time to coach a game he’d never played. According to family lore, on his first attempt at demonstrating how to kick the ball, Lehman missed badly, and broke a toe.
None of that mattered as much as being there for his kids.
“He gave me so many gifts, and in his death, he gave me more gifts,” Julia Lehman said. “I feel the love that was between us.
“He gave me the gift of believing in myself.”
Please support NJ Pen with a subscription. Get e-mails, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
