Charles B. Longenecker

Charles Longenecker, 91, passed away on August 21, 2023 at Landis Homes in Lititz. He was the son of the late Elam Bender Longenecker and Florence Brubaker Longenecker. He was born and raised on a farm, bordered by big Chiques creek, in Rapho Township in Lancaster County. The youngest of 5 children, he was preceded in death by Thelma, Mary, Elwood and Harold.

He married Barbara Rutt Longenecker in 1956.

He graduated from Lancaster Mennonite School in 1950. He also graduated from Eastern Mennonite College with a B.S. in secondary education majoring in biology, and from Cornell University with a M.S. in biology.

He taught biology for 40 years at Lancaster Mennonite High School. He was beloved by thousands of students for his lively and engaging teaching. Many students in his classes discovered a love for biology, and followed that love into lifelong work in health care, science, agriculture and other biology-related areas. He also led many delightful nature hikes for members of the wider community in parks and recreational settings.

A longtime resident of New Holland, he advocated for improved water waste management in the town to restore the health of the nearby Mill Creek.

He went to Erisman’s Mennonite Church as a child, and as an adult he was a devoted member of New Holland Mennonite Church, where he taught Sunday school, led singing with his beautiful tenor voice, and served in various other leadership roles in the congregation.

An avid gardener all his life, he was active in the Leaman Woods restoration project while living at Landis Homes.

He wrote an autobiography, This I Remember: A Memoir, in 2013.

He leaves his wife Barbara, his daughter Jo (partner Lauri Beckstead, deceased), and sons Fred (married to Lydia Knutson), Kenton (married to Shelly Mann) and Lynn (married to Laurie Eshleman), and grandchildren Caleb (married to Kristina Fox), Philip, Isaac, Nathan (deceased), Maria and Jesse.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 30 at 3:00 in West Bethany Chapel at Landis Homes, 1001 East Oregon Road, Lititz, PA. Gifts in his honor can be made to Lancaster Mennonite School (lancastermennonite.org), Landis Homes (landishomes.org) or Mennonite Central Committee (mcc.org). Arrangements entrusted to Groff-High Funeral Home, New Holland. Memories and condolences may be posted at www.groffeckenroth.