Necrology

Charles Gitzendanner '61

Dec. 30, 1939-May. 28, 2020

A man of letters and professional ­success, Charles Gitzendanner ’61 was an expert in ­management, working for much of his career at an international management consulting firm.

After Gitzendanner earned his ­Hamilton degree in political science, he obtained a master’s degree in business administration at Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1963, and a doctorate in management at New York University in 1970.

Gitzendanner, of Downingtown, Pa., died at the age of 80 on May 28, 2020, at home, with his daughters at his side. His wife of 58 years, the former Mary Ann Smith, died 16 days earlier.

Born on Dec. 30, 1939, in Mineola, N.Y., he was the son of Carl and Theda Pearce Gitzendanner. In College, Gitzendanner joined Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, played football, was on the track team, and participated in the Spanish Club and Nous Onze. Decades later he recalled the good friends, good times, and excellent education he had on the Hill.

“Hamilton, and my personal experiences at the College, helped prepare me for adult life. Areas for which this preparation has been helpful include graduate studies; work, especially the analytical and communication segments of it; and civic and social activities,” he wrote in a reunion yearbook. “On top of that, the College played a role in enabling me to enjoy life and, hopefully, contribute to it.”

Graduate degree in hand, Gitzendanner began his career in management and administrative positions at Ford Motor Co. in 1964, also working part time as a research assistant and instructor at the University of Michigan. He co-founded a consulting firm in Pennsylvania and spent most of his career at A.T. Kearney, a management firm, according to a published obituary.

His civic activities over the years included, among other things, serving as director of the Downingtown School Board, director of the United Way of ­Chester County, an elder of the Central Presbyterian Church of Downingtown, and director of the Philadelphia Regional Comprehensive Health Planning Agency.

Gitzendanner loved playing golf and spending time with his family. “Charlie loved a good cigar, a good book, and a good laugh; he was king of ‘dad jokes,’” the obituary noted.
He is survived by his daughters, including Lesley Gitzendanner Carroll ’87, and grandchildren.

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