Dr. Harry Krewson Charles Jr.

Dr. Harry Krewson Charles Jr., age 80 of Laurel, MD, passed away peacefully on the evening of May 08, 2025 in his New Albany, OH home. An only son to the late Harry K. Charles Sr. and Laura Engle Charles, he was born May 29, 1944 in Berlin, New Jersey. Harry enjoyed a rural childhood full of tinkering and exploring on the family chicken farm, along with weekly trips into town with his father for ice cream, a favorite lifelong indulgence.

Harry immediately stood out academically from a young age, impressing teachers with his ongoing curiosity and vigor for learning. He was valedictorian of his high school graduating class, going on to earn a BS of electrical engineering at Drexel University while also playing basketball for a number of years. Harry continued with his education, ultimately earning his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Johns Hopkins University. During his graduate studies at JHU, Harry also met the love of his life and future wife, Virginia Wall. The two married on March 28, 1970 after a short engagement. Harry and Virginia relocated to the suburbs outside of Baltimore (having their daughter, Heather, many years later in the spring of 1982) At home, Harry was known for his gentle demeanor, loving sarcasm, and logical advice. He was always available to lend a hand in support of Heather’s school work or horse barn escapades, and was known to frequently check off items from Virginia’s ever growing to-do list. Harry’s garage and basement workshops were never empty of wood, tools, and new projects on the horizon.

An introvert at heart, Harry often retired to “his study” where he more than dabbled in the hobby of philately. As a lifelong stamp collector, Harry published multiple articles for postal journals, presented his collections at national and international stamp shows, and spoke at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. He focused mainly on United States savings stamps, eventually publishing a book encapsulating the history of his collection in 2012. He was a member of the Baltimore Philatelic Society, American Philatelic Society, and was an honorary member of the Royal Philatelic Society London, the oldest in the world. During his life, Harry also enjoyed trains, gardening, Raven’s football, kaleidoscopes, fine food and art. He had a quiet love of space and was always “reaching for the moon” as his own father would say. A frequent traveler overseas for work and pleasure, Harry continued to also have a propensity for Asian culture that evolved into a shared interest with the entire family.

Professionally known as Dr. Charles, Harry worked for Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab starting in 1972, maintaining employment there for over 50 years in a variety of positions. He held many titles including, Senior Microelectronics Engineer, Head of Technical Services Dept, Editor in Chief of JHU APL Technical Digest, Principal Professional Staff Member, and Group Supervisor of the APL Education Center. Much of his career involved research and development of miniaturized electronic, electro-optic, and electro-mechanical devices. Mostly focusing on their systems of use in space, underwater, air and biomedicine. During his time with JHU APL, Harry published over 216 technical papers, made 50 invention disclosures and received 17 patents. He received the APL Master Inventor award in 2006. He served as the Program Chair for Applied Physics at the Whiting School of Engineering and also as the Office of Naval Research Distinguished Chair for Science and Technology for the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. Harry developed the curriculum for more than 10 graduate level courses, and was known for his steady mentorship, supporting a plethora of JHU doctoral students over the years. Based on his accomplishments, Harry was also honored as a life fellow to both the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the International Microelectronics Assembly and Packaging Society.

In addition to his parents, Harry was preceded in passing by his wife of almost 52 years, Virginia Wall Charles. Harry is survived by his loving daughter, Heather Kay Charles (Samuel Carl); two grandsons, Blake Krewson Clark and Weston Douglas Clark; brother in law, Dr. Robert E. Wall (Laura Lange); nephew Peter Douglas Wall (Taylor); and a variety of other colleagues and friends. In lieu of services, Harry’s life will continue to be celebrated in a variety of ways over the upcoming months and years, including the development of a memorial engineering scholarship in his name. To inquire about contributing to this scholarship fund or to share additional thoughts and favorite memories of your time with Harry (for his daughter and grandkids), please email [email protected].

In addition, feel free to visit www.schoedinger.com to share memories and condolences as well.