Charles Edward Rabenstine, of Carlisle, entered into Heavenly rest March 15.
Born in Penn Township, he was the son of the late Charles Edward and Della Sarah Krumrine Rabenstine.
Mr. Rabenstine was a 1941 graduate of Eichelberger High School, Hanover. Following graduation, he was employed as an apprentice and later a journeyman pattern maker for the Mummert-Dixon Company, Hanover. During World War II, he enlisted in the Navy and worked as a pattern maker in the foundry at the Norfolk Navy Ship Yard (NNSY) in Virginia. Following his honorable discharge from the Navy in 1946, Mr. Rabenstine was employed at the Budd Company in Philadelphia, where he learned how to make dies for plaster and steel patterns.
In 1949, he formed a partnership with Robert H. Miller to found the Littlestown Pattern Works, Littlestown. After buying out his business partner in 1988, Mr. Rabenstine served as company president until his retirement in 1992. He had made the first casings for General Electric's electric lawn mowers. He was commissioned to design a mechanical bank in the shape of a pineapple in 1959 to commemorate Hawaii becoming the 50th state.
Mr. Rabenstine was a 32nd Degree Free and Accepted Mason and held memberships in the Patmos Lodge 348, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite Lodge, council, chapter, consistory Valley of Harrisburg, Conewago High Twelve Club 707, Knights Templar, Zembo Shrine and the Bethel Commandery 098; and a member, past president and secretary for 20 years of the Littlestown Rotary Club. He was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow from the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. Mr. Rabenstine was also a member of the Littlestown Area Chamber of Commerce; the American Legion Ocker-Snyder Post 321; the Veterans of Foreign Wars; the Hanover Elks Lodge 763; the American Association of Retired Persons; and served on the Life Line Board of the Gettysburg Hospital. He was the Kiwanian Newsletter editor of the Carlisle Kiwanis Club; and a member and past treasurer of the Cumberland Crossings Auxiliary Inc. In 1991, the Littlestown Area Chamber of Commerce honored Mr. Rabenstine as Outstanding Citizen for his distinguished service to his community.
He was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Hanover; St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Littlestown, where he was president of the Church Council, superintendent of the Sunday School and sang bass in the choir; and most recently a member of Allison United Methodist Church, Carlisle, where he was a member of the Wesley Bible class and the United Methodist Men.
Mr. Rabenstine earned a diploma in public speaking from the Dale Carnegie Institute. He sang in the Littlestown Community Chorus. In 2000, he started his own cottage enterprise called, "Chuck's Computer Service." He was founder of the Cumberland Crossings Retirement Community Computer Club.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty Heltibridle Rabenstine, and is survived by one daughter, Donna J. Houser of Carlisle; two grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; one sister, Kathleen Leinart of New Oxford; a companion, Helen Graham of Carlisle, and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was also preceded in death by four sisters, Cordelia Rabenstine, Geraldine Gross, Kathryn Lawson and Thelma Reigle Wolford.
Family Members
Spouse
Betty Heltibridle Rabenstine*
1922–2000
