Charles H. Dortmund

May 17, 1945 - January 13, 2021

Charles ‘Chic’ Henry Dortmund 1945-2021, 75 Years Old. Chic Dortmund, a beloved husband, daddy, grandpa, brother, father-in-law, uncle, brother-in-law, son, friend & surrogate daddy & grandpa to many was unexpectedly called home on January 13, 2021. Chic passed with no regrets, no words left unsaid, no hugs left ungiven. Because he loved us so well, the hurt is so great. Chic was born on May 17, 1945 to Paul and Bertie (Meeks) Dortmund. He was raised in Columbus, Ohio with his sisters Ginger (Terry) Littrell & Janet (Tom) Moorman and brother David (Diane) Dortmund. His family was one to be jealous of. They were close and loving & laughed all the time. Chic took his role as big brother very seriously. He cared deeply for his siblings and taught them many important life lessons. He kept his room off limits to his sisters by hanging a shrunken head, he blew up their sandbox creations with fireworks and scraped the snow off the river for ice skating. He taught his little brother David how to reload bullets, shoot baskets like an ape and scare golfers by blowing up things in the middle of their game. Chic was Uncle Chic to 8 nieces and nephews who were thoroughly entertained with his stories, jokes & endless knowledge on all topics. Chic graduated from Worthington High School in 1963. His school years were spent experimenting with chemicals, suggesting mischievous ideas for his friends, trapping animals & building stuff with his dad. Chic attended Anderson University for several years before leaving to join the Ohio Air National Guard. He swapped a college degree for multiple degrees in life. His mind was brilliant and there was no subject too tough for him. Chic served in the Guard for six years and was a true patriot. Chic was an Auxiliary with the Ohio State Highway Patrol for many years. He enjoyed every minute working alongside the officers. He was a proud American, supporter of our troops and had mad respect for our flag and national anthem. Chic was a devout Christian and attended West Fourth Avenue Church of God and Meadow Park Church of God. Chic married Linda (Copeland) on July 19, 1969. They met in December, were engaged in February and married in July. Chic always said, “When you know, you know.” They enjoyed 51 ½ years of marriage, raised three kids, Lee, Mandy and Matthew and were blessed with three grandchildren, Nate Dortmund and Noah & Natalie Mathis. Chic’s family was his greatest joy and proudest accomplishment. Chic was very much loved by his son-in-law Jeremy and his daughters-in-law, Jenny & Coneen. Chic adored his wife, Linda. His eyes twinkled when he looked at her, she could make him laugh like no other and he showed her true love from the moment they met. Their relationship served as a model for many, but mostly to their three kids. It was an honor to watch them together. Chic & Linda spent most of their married life living on 10 acres in Delaware, Ohio. Chic would show up with chickens, goats, lambs, ducks, dirt bikes, puppies, chainsaws; treasures galore. He trimmed trees by shooting the limbs, extracted stumps with dynamite, built sledding runs that were worthy of newspaper coverage and had a garden that was over an acre in size. He mowed a baseball diamond in the back field, carved out paths into the ravine and always smelled like sawdust and gasoline. His hands were always dirty, his head was always sweaty and showering in the rain made him giddy. Chic let his kids eat pizza from the box, sitting on the living room floor in front of the TV. He taught them all how to shoot a gun before they could read, made them excited to do their chores and involved them in everything he did. Tuesdays were his day off from Acker’s Hardware and Tuesdays were spent playing. In the fall of 2004, Chic & Linda loaded their pups and headed out west. Living out west was always a dream of Chic’s and they found the perfect mountain home in Sandpoint, Idaho. They enjoyed 13 years at their mountain paradise. Hand-feeding deer, exploding targets, insane sled runs with jumps over the driveway, s’mores in the wood stove, roasting hot-dogs, splitting wood, walks in the woods to Moon Rock, perfecting his rocket and firework skills, teaching all the grandkids how to shoot and hours spent in his ‘chapel’ workshop. Every time Chic went into town he stopped for an ice cream cone at Dubb’s and placed his hand over his heart while crossing the Long Bridge. He couldn’t drive by Dufort Mall (local trash/recycling center) without stopping for a quick dumpster dive for treasures. More times than can be counted, whatever Chic was in need of showed up at Dufort and he quickly brought it home. Chic was at peace in Idaho. He made amazing friends and spent every day working alongside Matt. The only drawback was the miles between him and his grandkids… those grandkids were the reason Chic & Linda came back to Ohio in 2017. Chic’s favorite name was Grandpa. Nate, Noah & Natalie pretty much worshipped the ground he walked on. His favorite rule as Grandpa was that there were NO RULES at his house. Cookies for breakfast, Pepsi instead of water, toot jokes, silly faces, he was the funniest person they knew. He let them drive his quad, cut his grass, trim his beard, burn stuff for no reason, he was always ready for a big hug and some serious snuggles and he always, always showed up for them. He gave them more than a lifetime of memories that they will share with their own kids one day. Grandpa Dortmund will live on forever. Chic & Linda had just recently settled in Prospect, Ohio, moving into a farmhouse that is over 180 years old. They immediately made it a home. Chic was in the middle of a master bedroom remodel when he passed. He was also putting the finishing touches on restoring the old barn. The barn looked to be beyond repair, but not to Chic. He had a vision for it and brought it back to its glory. His family and friends will be finishing the barn in his honor. Chic had big plans for an expanded workshop, setting up his sawmill and making the cellar into a shooting range. He never stopped thinking about his next project. Chic attended every single sporting event, choir concert, school play, church musical for his kids. He was the first Room-Dad at his kid’s elementary school, helped establish the photography department for Olentangy High School, was the sports photographer for years and drove the equipment van for ski club. He chaperoned field-trips, showed up dressed in costume on Halloween and had hugs for everyone. When Lee and Matt were golfing in college, he and Linda bought an RV and traveled to all of their matches. Chic was not a sports-guy, but whatever his kids were interested about, he learned & was excited to watch them. This continued with his grandkids and their activities. He showed up with peanuts in his pockets, cheered loud and proud, but his favorite part was always post-game when he could smother them with hugs. He complained about ‘bleacher butt’, yet he never missed a game. His presence on the sidelines and in the stands will be greatly missed. Chic was a jack of all trades. Whatever he decided to do, he did it well. He held several job titles, started & operated many businesses and left his stamp on anything he touched. As a teen he blew glass swans and vases for his sister to sell at school. He worked for Ohio Bell Telephone Company before taking a full-time position with his dad at Acker’s Hardware. He helped his dad own and operate Acker’s Hardware at 5th & High in Columbus, Ohio for 30 years. But Chic always had a side-hustle. He founded Chic’s Enterprises in his mid-twenties and sold Add A Tune & Mile Master from his garage. Chic was a self-taught beekeeper for many years and supplied Chic’s Honey to all of his friends. Chic opened the first video rental store in Delaware, Ohio. The Box Seat rented VHS & Beta tapes and sold video gaming systems. Chic was always an avid photographer and turned his hobby into a full-time business. He and Linda operated Chic’s Photography, photographing weddings, seniors and families. They later opened a film processing/printing & studio business, The Photo Station. They became lifelong friends with most of their customers and enjoyed preserving their special moments in photos. When the hardware store and photography businesses closed, Chic returned to his roots of working with his hands. Still under the name of Chic’s Enterprises he started a general contracting business. All three of his kids assisted him, learning how to fix stuff from the master himself. Lee & Matt worked with him full-time for several years, with Matt continuing on for over 25 years. In his 60’s Chic founded Dortmund Builder’s with Matt in Idaho. Together they took Sandpoint, ID by storm. They quickly built a reputation for remarkable work with an honest approach. His love of reloading led to the creation of Blackthumb Supply. His thumb was often stained with black powder so the business name for his reloading company was quite fitting. His family received many text pictures of his black thumb over the years. Chic never stopped working. The last couple years he spent working as a general handyman for anyone who called and with Berner Homes, restoring and rebuilding homes in Delaware, Ohio. He was the ultimate Restoration Specialist, in all aspects of life. Dogs of all shapes and sizes were drawn to Chic. He talked to them face-to-face, remembered their names and often had treats in his pockets. He had a soft spot for labs and would lay on the ground to snuggle them. No doubt his four-legged babies were all waiting for him at the Pearly Gates. Chic was a gardening guru. He knew how to treat the earth just right so it would grow the biggest tomatoes and his fertilizer of choice was chicken poop from his coop. He could rewire a lamp, pour a concrete floor, build just about anything, fix a computer, diagnose a car issue, and repurpose an old barn into a million beautiful things. Custom creations made by Chic are in homes everywhere. His family is finding comfort in knowing ‘Chic is Everywhere’. Chic didn’t know a stranger and was often called upon to listen and give his advice. His listening skills were top-notch. He shared his knowledge in unique ways, never telling you what to do, but guiding you. If you told him you didn’t know how to do something, he would reply with, “Well, then you’ve never done it wrong.” He encouraged you to try and then try again, reminding us that things never go perfectly and that mistakes often lead to greater understanding. He was a true mentor to so many. Chic was a fighter. His heart was a bully and required angioplasty in 1994. Three years later he suffered a heart attack and needed a quadruple bypass. During his recovery Linda came home to find him changing the brakes on the car. 2009 started out with the diagnosis of stage three colon cancer. Chic described it as a ‘bump in the road’. He endured radiation, chemotherapy and an intense surgery. It was at this same time that he was called to rescue the build of Mandy’s house. He took over the build and gave Mandy and her family their dream home. He said he needed something to keep his mind off of his recovery. That surgery was almost 11 years ago. He fought through some really rough times of not feeling well, but most people would have never known. Chic felt blessed to be alive and wasn’t going to miss a thing. Chic was known for his homemade foods-chili, pickles, salsa, broccoli cheddar soup & ice cream He was the best breakfast cook around and encouraged breakfast foods to be eaten for any meal. He put horseradish, hot sauce, mustard or salt on everything and chased it all down with an ice-cold Pepsi. He was disgusted by sour cream & yogurt and often re-heated the same cup of coffee several times. His favorite sandwich was one someone else made for him and he ate his cake in a bowl covered with milk. He was always willing to clean everyone’s plate and saved leftovers for way too long. His favorite part of any meal was the fellowship that came with it. Meals with Chic were long because stories were swapped, questions were asked and problems were solved. The things Chic saw through the lens of a camera were often glanced over by most people. He photographed the world around him in such a unique way. He was always up for a selfie and sent pictures of himself, his meals, his projects, misspelled signs, his dirty hands, random dogs, you name it, he was constantly texting his kids, grandkids, friends, siblings and Linda. Those pictures and texts are bringing smiles and tears and will be forever cherished. You always knew when Chic was thinking of you because he let you know at that moment. Chic will be forever remembered for so many things. His genuine smile, a laugh that you could actually feel in your soul, the greatest hugs that were tight, all-in and as long as you needed them to be. Holding his hand could calm you instantly and his friendship was unbreakable. He told the same jokes over and over again but somehow he still made you laugh. He never stopped talking and you never wanted him to. He was our angel on earth, a direct gift from God. He is missed beyond comprehension; his legacy lives on in all who knew him. He was ready whenever God called him home, to the Great Hardware Store in the sky. We have no doubt he is covered in sawdust building stuff with his dad, telling stories to all his family and friends and snuggling every dog he can find. Chic always said that God and family give us everything we need for a happy life, may we all be reminded of that in the coming years. We love you Daddy. ---Chic always referred to his death as his Graduation. We will be celebrating his graduation sometime in the near future and hope that all who loved Chic can attend. Chic worked hard his entire life to provide for his family. He had many projects in the works and a planned trip with Linda out west. To help cover costs of his medical bills, projects, funeral expenses and the spreading of his ashes in Idaho, donations can be made to his wife, Linda Dortmund through the attached GoFundMe page. Chic’s family thanks you in advance for your donations. #belikechic #chichappens https://www.gofundme.com/f/chic-dortmunds-memorial