PHOTO BY ERIK AULT

Friday, September 22, 2023; Artist Charles “Chuck” Delpapa displaying art in his studio at the Tin Shop Gallery in Ohio City; Chuck paints in the basement of his historic Ohio City home, where he lives with his wife Bea. The pair, with their son Tim, regularly host friends and family for art shows to socialize and showcase Chuck’s work.

by Erik Ault

(Plain Press, October 2023) Charles “Chuck” Delpapa lives a quiet life in Ohio City. He can be seen walking to the West Side Market or hanging out in the backyard of his historic home with his wife Bea. But Chuck is not just your average neighbor.

   Chuck was born in 1938, making him a member of the Silent Generation, which comprise fewer than 6% of the population according to Statista. This is the generation which was born under the shadows of the Great Depression and World War II. Despite the backdrop of these tumultuous periods, Chuck’s reminiscence on his childhood in Pueblo, Colorado could not be fonder.

   “Pueblo was not a big city, but there was a steel mill. My father worked at the state fair in charge of the grounds, so we actually lived on the fairgrounds. It was a beautiful limestone house. My parents were not well off, but it was a fun place to grow up, especially the week of the fair with all the crowds,” he remembered.

   After high school, Chuck went to the University of Northern Colorado where he met and fell in love with Bea. He graduated with a degree in fine arts and married the love of his life. He first attempted to be a schoolteacher but didn’t feel that was his calling. So, he went to the University of Denver for graduate work and got a job at a department store, working his way up to be the head of fashion merchandising and furnishings. He stayed in Denver many years, helping Bea raise their two sons Tim and Andy until he was headhunted by the Higbee Company. This required him to move east to Cleveland in 1982.

   Tim was in college, so Chuck and Bea moved here with Andy. Once Andy graduated from Lakewood High School, he moved back to Denver, and Tim came to live in Ohio City where he has lived since the 80s. Chuck and Bea stayed in Cleveland, and Bea ran a cooking school in western Lakewood.

   Chuck was let go from the Higbee Company when it was taken over by Dilliard’s. In 1988, he found a job at Alsy Lighting as their Vice President of Creative Development. At first, the couple moved to New York City where Alsy was headquartered. But the company ended up in Ellwood City, a small town near the Ohio and Pennsylvania border north of Pittsburgh. So, Chuck and Bea moved again, but they decided to live on the Ohio side for financial reasons. They lived on ten acres in a six-bedroom house that overlooked a one-acre pond in Columbiana County.

   Throughout Chuck’s career, he was able to use his artistic talent to design and create home furnishings that sold in many retailers, such as Target and Big Lots. His lamp shades in particular were top-sellers at Home Depot. By visiting trade shows around the world, Chuck was able to stay current with global design trends.

   “One year, I thought glass was going to be the important look. So, I went to China where they manufactured a lot of glass. And I did a collection of maybe twenty glass lamps… You gotta keep your finger on the pulse of the market,” he advised.

   Chuck would often China a handful of times a year due to its role in manufacturing. So, one of the perks of his career was getting to experience a wide array of people and culture. The tradeoff, however, was not being able to spend time with his family. “I was traveling so much, oftentimes things would happen, like one of the kids would fall down and break their arm. Bea really got stuck with a lot of things that I should’ve been there to help. I have to give her more credit. She really got stuck with a lot of things. Traveling was not a real plus in our relationship,” he recalled.

   While living in Columbiana County, Chuck commuted to Ellwood City every day until he retired in 2004. Together Chuck and Bea maintained the homestead until Chuck decided that mowing six acres every week was too much. “I loved mowing the six acres with my nice, big John Deere mower but, finally, the ten acres got to be too much. And so, we needed to downsize,” he recollected.

   In 2011, they moved back to Cleveland to an historic home owned by their son Tim. “We love Ohio City. We could not imagine a better place to live. We’re involved with our block club…We shop regularly at the West Side Market or Dave’s… I feel strongly that you need to support the place where you live.” Chuck said.

   But retirement has not meant stagnation for Chuck. On the contrary: since finishing his career, he has continued to work as a painter. He paints on commission and has done freelance design consulting. He does sell his art to anyone interested. But painting for him is his artistic release. His main motivation is just to paint scenes he finds beautiful and showcase them in the Tin Shop Gallery, a former manufacturing facility and Spiritualist church located in the basement of his storied home.

   After 63 years of marriage, Chuck still does not know if there is a “secret” to a life-long relationship. “It was a match made in heaven.   There’s certainly been ups and downs, but never enough to even think about separating. It’s been great.”

   Important to Chuck has been his role as a family man. He is happiest spending time with his wife and son. They still go on trips together, such as visiting his son Andy in Denver or other family members around the country. And Chuck has never stopped exploring whatever he finds interesting in life.

   “My whole life, I’ve had a good life. I’ve got a great family with two great kids. I don’t know that there’s a ‘secret.’ Solve problems as they arise and don’t be ugly about anything.”