Charly Martin
By Cynthia Marone
The elephant in the room would occasionally arrive with Charles H. Martin. It would perch on his lapel in the form of a pin the recently retired Bucks County Commissioner and current Centennial School Board member wore. It became a good luck charm that Charley’s father, himself a more than 20-year Centennial School Board member, gave his son from when he was an alternate delegate at the 1948 Republican National Convention. Needless to say, the pachyderm has proven a better talisman for Charley than for that year’s candidate, Thomas E. Dewey, who lost to Harry S. Truman. “It’s a lucky thing I’ve had to rely on. I’d wear it on election days and if I went to a political event,” Charley, 78, said. “I’ve always been interested in politics. It started in high school. Back then you could have extra courses in social studies. We had a wonderful teacher who encouraged activity in political things. That continued on into college by being involved in the campaign for Barry Goldwater.
Dewey and Goldwater may not have made it past their Republican presidential runs, but Charley has turned his interest in politics into more than 35 years serving the people of Bucks County. Throughout his 12 years on the Upper Southampton Township Board of Supervisors, to the Board of Bucks County Commissioners — where he was deemed the longest serving member in history in 2012 — to the Centennial School Board, a ticket he won in November 2019, he has never lost an election. It may have been that elephant on his shoulder, but his time with the Commissioners — almost 25 years, six terms and 12 turns as board chairman — that officially ended in January 2020 proves it was one of the longest lucky streaks of all time. Or maybe it was a bit more than that. “I loved it, and the voters let me,” the longtime Upper Southampton resident said of his time as a commissioner. “I was fortunate to remain healthy, had really good people to work with and I enjoyed doing it. I retired at a good time. We could help people with issues they were dealing with. You are actually able to help people to have a better life.”
Retirement is what put Charley on the road to the county board in the first place. PECO, where he worked for 31 years in management and public affairs, offered Charley early retirement in the mid-1990s. He was only 52 but found the offer too good to resist. He thought about dusting off his education degree, which he earned at Lebanon Valley College in 1964 along with a degree in political science or trying for township manager. When a board vacancy arose, Charley was appointed to fill it on May 22, 1995. He then ran for his first full term a few months later—and hasn’t slowed down since.
Looking back, he believes what will stand the test of time will be the countless farms and thousands of acres he helped preserve and the infrastructure, such as the county’s Justice Center and Emergency Services Center, he had a hand in creating. As much as he enjoyed his decades as a commissioner, his time on the school board is very special. Not only is it a chance to help people once again in an official capacity but it’s also the district he graduated from—he’s a member of the William Tennent High School Class of 1960—as did his family and it’s in the township he has called home for decades. It’s also the seat once occupied by his father, William J. Martin, who instilled in him his love of politics.
Though the school board is quite the commitment, Charley was ready to say goodbye to the full-time aspects of being a commissioner. Now there is time to get to all he wants and needs to do, from newfound hobbies like gardening to longtime interests like sports. “I have things to do around the house. We have a Shore house,” Charley, who served in the New Jersey National Guard from 1965 to 1971, said, “I’d rather leave on my own terms. I’ve had a fulfilling career, but it was long enough.”
The house by the sea has been a spot for fishing in the bay and trips to the beach. These days, he and Jean, his wife of 43 years, are content to relax in the yard and enjoy the natural splendor. Though contemplative sitting sounds serene and many have embraced it during COVID-19’s quarantine, the latter has derailed Charley’s volunteering plans for Neshaminy Manor Home long-term care facility, where people help out by reading to residents or accompanying them on walks, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
“A lot of people volunteered their time to make Neshaminy Manor a great place. That’s something I thought I might do if I had extra time, but that’s all been put on hold. If I was going to volunteer to do anything, I would check with the SPCA. We’ve always had dogs and cats growing up,” Charley, a Bryn Mawr native, said. “I’ve always loved animals. Looking out on my backyard, we have friendly foxes that are almost like pets, deer running all through the place, ducks wandering around.”
The outside furry and feathered friends are joined by Charley and Jean’s inside companions, Lili Rose, a 2-year-old English bulldog, and Ginger, a 17-year-old cat. Rounding out Charley’s family is daughter Erin, stepson Gregory and four grandchildren. Charley and Jean have been together for decades, and it’s a story that proves the saying “lucky in cards, unlucky in love” all wrong. “It was a blind date arranged through a friend of mine. I almost didn’t do it. I played in a monthly card game, and I was to meet this woman at the Village Inn in Southampton during my card night. I was winning, and I didn’t want to leave!” he said. “I got there late. Luckily, she was still there. It worked out very well.”
Jean and Charley share in one of his favorite pastimes: dining out. Unfortunately, that was on pause for some time with COVID-19’s restrictions. The latter has also taken a toll on his love of seeing his favorite teams play in person. “It’s been tough. I thought I’d get Phillies tickets, go to a ballgame. I’ve had tickets for the Flyers, Eagles, Phillies,” he said. “We still like to go out for lunch or dinner when we can. We have a favorite restaurant in Southampton and, every week since it closed in March, we’ve gotten takeout from them. When they permitted indoor dining, we had dinner inside. We’re getting back into it.”
Until then, Charley is trying his hand at gardening by pulling weeds and watering plants in Jean’s botanical oasis and looking to the printed page. “I have a stack of magazines,” Charley, who has served in countless other capacities such as with the Bucks County Conservation District, the Pennsylvania State Transportation Commission and the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, said. “I like to glance at least at two papers a day. I have a stack of books to get to but haven’t gotten there yet.”
Nonfiction books are his preference, including ones about the presidents, as well as Bill O’Reilly’s historical thrillers. It seems politics, even in retirement, still hold Charley’s attention, and it’s an interest that will certainly impact future generations. The most recent example being the Visit Bucks County Charles H. Martin Grant Recipient. Launched this year, the grant goes to nonprofits in the travel and hospitality fields. It recognizes Charley’s commitment in starting and supporting the tourism promotion agency’s grant program, per the Visit Bucks website. The inaugural honoree, Charley said, was the Craven Hall Historical Society, which delighted him since he went to school in the famed building for two years.
Charley and Bucks County seemed intertwined, and he sees his years on the board as good luck shining down on him. “I’ve been a very fortunate person. A lot of politics is a matter of timing and being at the right place at the right time. I’ve been fortunate that I’ve been in the right place at the right time and managed to have a very fulfilling time in office,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ve managed to do a little bit of good during that time.”
Cynthia Marone is a freelance writer from Philadelphia.