Charlie Dorkey, 96, Mainline property appraiser and avid golfer
Mr. Dorkey loved telling stories to his grandchildren.
Charles "Charlie" Edward Dorkey Jr. loved being outside, especially if he could spend the day golfing. He had so much skill that when he was 88 he shot his age — an impressive feat and far better than the casual golfer.
On Friday, Aug. 25, Mr. Dorkey, 96, of Lower Merion, died in his home of 60 years. His son, Charles "Trip" Dorkey, said that although his father recently had health issues, he remained active appraising properties (despite retirement) earlier this year and he was still driving just months ago. He maintained a sharp mind that astounded those who knew him, his son said.
"I think of Charlie as a gentleman and a dedicated public servant," said Reaves Lukens, a friend who first got to know Mr. Dorkey in a real estate class. They remained friends for decades, both committed to civic service. Mr. Dorkey, he said, was loved and well-respected. "He fought a good fight. He never wanted to quit work, or give up."
Among his accomplishments, Mr. Dorkey was trained as a military pilot during World War II, and then worked in the manufacturing industry before turning to real estate. While raising two sons with his wife, Peggy, he served as a township commissioner. He was fond of trips to Mississippi, where his family would visit relatives — and where Mr. Dorkey enjoyed a jaunt to buy "moonshine." Later in life, he valued his time with his grandchildren.
Born Aug. 2, 1921, in New York City, Mr. Dorkey grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens. Aside from French, he was a strong student, graduating from Trinity School in 1939 before attending Dartmouth College and the Tuck School of Business. He studied economics and business, graduating in 1943, his son said. While in college, Mr. Dorkey was on the executive committee of the Dartmouth Outing Club, serving on its Cabin and Trails Council. He also was vice president of the Ledyard Canoe Club, and a member of Bait and Bullet and the Undergraduate Fire Squad.
After college, Mr. Dorkey joined the Army Air Force and was stationed in Clarksdale, Miss. He earned his pilot's license and trained others. In 1945, he was transferred to Fort Benning in Georgia to prepare for an invasion of Japan, but the war ended and he instead finished his service at Fort Roberts in California. He remained on active reserve until January 1951, military records show.
While in Mississippi, Mr. Dorkey met Nina Hughes "Peggy" O'Neal when her family hosted a meal for those in the service. The couple married in 1946 and soon moved to Ardmore. In addition to Trip, they had another son, Robert Frederick "Rick" Dorkey, who died in 2011. Mr. Dorkey also was preceded in death by his wife in 1994, and a sister.
After the war, Mr. Dorkey worked as a manager for Frankoweave Inc., a textile manufacturing firm on Torresdale Avenue in Philadelphia. He remained there until the mid-1960s when the company relocated out of state.
Mr. Dorkey wanted to keep his family in Lower Merion, and he launched a career in real estate, working first at Pugh Realtors in Bryn Mawr before starting his own real estate company in 1970, and doing appraisal work in the Philadelphia suburbs. He served as a property appraiser for Lower and Upper Merion and Narberth and was chairman and board president of the Main Line Board of Realtors.
From 1966 to 1978, Mr. Dorkey served as a Lower Merion Township commissioner for South Wynnewood, was chairman of the Ardmore Free Library, director of the Penn Wynne Fire Company, and was director of the Ard-Wood Civic Association.
His son said that every summer, until the early 1960s, the family hopped in their Ford station wagon for a two-day drive to Clarksdale, where they would visit family. Mississippi had numerous "dry" counties, and Mr. Dorkey enjoyed crossing the Coahoma County line to find "the moonshiner" who sold legally taxed whiskey. He also looked forward to dinners at his favorite Moon Lake restaurant, and golfing at the Clarksdale Country Club.
Mr. Dorkey's love of the outdoors led him to summer at Camp Pathfinder on Source Lake in Algonquin Park in Ontario, Canada. He held memberships at the New York Athletic Club, the University Club of New York, and was an active member of Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Delaware County.
In addition to his son, Mr. Dorkey is survived by three grandchildren, a step-granddaughter, and a sister.
The family will receive guests Saturday, Sept. 30 at 10 a.m. at the Chadwick & McKinney Funeral Home, 30 E. Athens Ave., Ardmore. A memorial service will follow at 11 a.m. Burial will be at the Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, N.Y. Donations in Mr. Dorkey's memory can be made online to the Ardmore Free Library.