Carl K Gaddis

Of Upper St. Clair, age 91 born September 18, 1932; passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 13, 2024; beloved husband of Darlene (Peterson) Gaddis, loving father of Mark (Carol) Gaddis, Margaret (Simon) Beck, Scott (Julie) Gaddis, Aaron (Tammy) Gaddis, and Chip (Paige) Gaddis;  cherished grandfather of Chris Beck, Steven Gaddis, Katie Gaddis Carlon, John Gaddis, Carly Beck Bellavia, Rachel Gaddis, Allison Gaddis, Emily Gaddis, Ella Gaddis, and Owen Gaddis; great grandfather of James Carlon and Blair Beck; brother of Elaine Offutt, Doris Haglund, Mary Marsh, Norma Back, and Deborah Knickerbocker;  preceded in death by his parents; Thomas and Mayme(Kline) Gaddis, his brothers; Glenn Gaddis and Dale Gaddis; his sisters; Carol Peterson, Bonnie Stein, and Barbara Patrick.

Carl was born in Austin, MN, one of 11 children, and enlisted in the Navy in 1951 at age 19. Following several years of service, he was selected to Officer Candidate School and was commissioned an officer in 1956. During his Navy career he rose to the rank of Commander while serving in the Supply Corps as well as the Nuclear Propulsion program under the leadership of Adm. Hyman Rickover. Following his retirement in 1973, he continued to work as a civilian in the Navy Nuclear program, moving from Washington DC to Bethel Park, PA to head up the government office overseeing the Bettis Atomic Power Lab in West Mifflin, PA.  He remained there for 20 years, eventually retiring in 1993.

Following his retirement, Carl remained active, joining the Upper St Clair/Bethel Park Rotary Club. He held several leadership roles within the club, including President and was also selected as District Governor for the Pittsburgh Region. The Rotary motto, “Service above Self”, especially resonated with Carl. Carl and Darlene moved into Friendship Village in 2010 and have enjoyed the vibrant community it has offered over the past 14 years. Carl especially enjoyed tending to his garden, golf, and being of service to the member association through his work on the Finance Committee and with the Foundation. Most of all, Carl enjoyed time with family – Darlene, his wife of 71 years, his five kids, 10 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren.

A Memorial Service will be held at Friendship Village South Hills on Saturday, August 3rd at 2PM in the St. Clair Room.  A private family burial will take place at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Carl K Gaddis, please visit our floral store.