Piersol, Charlotte Lyons

Charlotte Anne Lyons Piersol, formerly of Parkersburg, West Virginia, died on November 8, 2020, in Blacksburg. She was born in Parkersburg on December 26, 1926, the daughter of Charles O. and Orma Somerville Lyons. Preceding her in death, in addition to her parents, were her husband, Richard L. Piersol; her brother, Donald W. Lyons; and her daughter, Elizabeth Piersol Cowgill.

She is survived by her sons, Richard M. Piersol and wife Barbara, of Blacksburg, Virginia, and Dana L. Piersol, of Parkersburg; her grandsons, Jacob Piersol and wife Bethany, of Henrico, Virginia, and Andrew Piersol and wife Charley-Anne, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and by her great-grandchildren, Braden, Hank, Sam, and Katie Piersol, of Henrico, and Tyson, Andie, and Clayton Piersol, of Winston-Salem.

Charlotte was a graduate of Parkersburg High School and West Virginia University. She served as librarian at the Parkersburg Branch of the University during its early years in the 1960s. After the death of her husband she moved with her younger children to Morgantown and completed her degree in Library Science while working in the University Library. She then returned to Parkersburg, where she began a twenty-year career as Technical Librarian in the research division at E. I. duPont.

Widowed at the age of thirty-nine, Charlotte courageously embraced the life that lay before her. As a daughter, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother she was kind and generous, steadfast in her dedication to those she loved, and an inspiration to family and friends who were touched by her warmth and intelligence.

Charlotte loved books. She read widely and constantly throughout her life, until her failing eyesight brought an end to one of her greatest joys. She was a keen observer of national and state politics and was equally knowledgeable about the history of her beloved West Virginia and the early settlement of the Ohio Valley. She also loved music. As a young woman she became an accomplished pianist. And toward the end of her life it delighted her to know that her great-grandaughter is learning to play on the piano that was given to Charlotte by her loving husband on Christmas Day in 1950.

With her health in decline, Charlotte moved in 2015 to Warm Hearth Village, Blacksburg, where she could enjoy the companionship and visits of her extended family and receive the professional care that was increasingly necessary for her well-being. Her family is most grateful to the staff of the Kroontje Health Care Center at Warm Hearth for the kindness and affection they provided during Charlotte’s last years.

The family will gather for a memorial service at a future date.

Arrangements by McCoy Funeral Home, Blacksburg, and Leavitt Funeral Services, Parkersburg