Charles Varley Schwenker

Charles Varley Schwenker was a native of Columbus. He graduated from Upper Arlington High School. He received his Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor from the Ohio State University. Mr. Schwenker met his wife, Peggy O’Ryan, (deceased) while they were both attending Ohio State University. He had two sons, Charley (deceased), and Bill (Tina), of San Diego; and a daughter, Diana (Scott) Anderson of San Francisco; granddaughter Kitty (Brandy) and great grandson Knox, of San Francisco; and grandson Oliver (Olivia) of Scottsdale, AZ.

Mr. Schwenker’s father, Charles A. Schwenker, was an outstanding lawyer. Upon Charles’s graduation he joined the family law firm of Charles S. Krumm and Charles A. Schwenker. Mr. Krumm was general counsel of the Ohio National Bank and under his supervision, Charles wrote the legal opinions on banking law questions, as was requested by the bank.

In World War II, Mr. Schwenker served as an officer on the Alaska Highway Command. While there he applied for admission to the Yukon Bar, which consisted of eight members, but was told that Canadian citizenship was required! He later served as an assistant General Counsel to the Quatermaster General.

After the war, he helped form the Schwenker, Teaford, Brothers & Solsberry law firm and later was senior partner of several successor law firms.

His bar association activities included Chairman of the Municipal Court Committee, Public Relations Committee, and Fee Arbitration Committee of the Columbus Bar Association.

He was the longest standing member of the Athletic Club of Columbus, where he was responsible for integrating women into the club. He was a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, Kentucky Bar Association, and the American Bar Association and the Bars of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.

His civic activities included being President of the Berwick Civic Association, last Justice of the Peace of Upper Arlington, member of the Planning Commission of the City of Columbus, President of the Franklin County Society for Crippled Children and Adults, now called the Central Ohio Easter Seal Society, the last Administrator of the World War II and Korean War Bonus Commission and was in charge of its dissolution, Chairman of the Rhodes for Governor Committee for the first two times Rhodes successfully ran for Governor, Chairman of the Ohio Racing Commission, President of the National Association of State Racing Commissioners, President of the International Association of State Racing Commissioners, and Chairman of the State Personnel Board of Review.

Mr. Schwenker was known for his integrity and held himself to the highest of standards. He appreciated beauty in all of its forms, from his everyday surroundings to the palaces of Europe. He was an adventurer in all ways. He explored every cave within 1,000 miles, canoed with overland portage, traveled the world, enjoying dinner at Brighton Pavillion served by the Queen Elizabeth’s footmen.

He was a very kind, generous and charitable man, quietly giving help to many – both to individuals and to organizations.

Mr. Schwenker was a very proper and perfect gentleman with perfect manners who made everyone feel at ease. He had a great sense of humor and could find the funny side of any situation and laugh with kindness. He will be missed.

By way of conclusion, one of Charles’ favorite legal stories is this one: Abe Gertner, who had the Gertner Bar Exam Preparation Course for many years, used to impress upon his students not to make hasty decisions.

To illustrate this point, he used to tell this story which he said is true. One day he had a call from a client who asked if he could be put in jail for doing a certain thing. Abe said he was at the point of telling the client “of course not”, when he heard background noise on the phone. He asked of the client where he was, and the client replied “in jail”.

Friends are welcome to celebrate Charles’s life on Friday, February 20th, from 5-7 p.m. at Schoedinger Northwest Chapel, 1740 Zollinger Road. There will also be a short service from 10am-10:30am, February 21, 2015 at Schoedingers. Interment to follow at St. Joseph Cemetery.