Charles W. Radcliffe, age 94, of Wilmington, DE, formerly of Annapolis, MD passed away on Saturday, November 30, 2019.

Charles grew up in Bedford and Oolitie, Indiana, until age 13, when he moved to Dover, NH with his parents, George and Liddie Radcliffe, and his sister, Barbara. He graduated from Dover High School and entered the US Navy, where he served with the Seabees Construction Battalion on Saipan and Tinian until the end of World War II.

He attended Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, graduating in 1950. There he was on the ski team and an outstanding debater. In his senior year he was selected as one of two member of the first US international Debate Team, touring England and Scotland to debate with teams at major universities. Later, as an alumnus he was one of the founders of the Bates College Museum of Art, to which he donated works from his own collection.

Following a year teaching American history in Presque Isle, Maine, he returned for a year's graduate study at University of New Hampshire before moving to Washington, DC as Legislative Assistant to a New Hampshire Senator. He remained in Washington, working with the US Office of Education and later as as the Director of the White House Conference on Education.

During this time, he earned his law degree from Georgetown University. After which he took the position of Minority Counsel to the US House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor until he retired. As Minority Counsel he wrote and was instrumental in the passage of several landmark education laws, including the Vocational Act of 1963 and the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Since college days, Charles was active in politics and worked on behalf of Republican candidates in Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey and elsewhere. It was while he was working on an election campaign in New Hampshire that he met the love of his life, Shirley Caron. They were married at St. Mark's Church in Washington in 1966 and shortly afterward moved to Annapolis, Maryland where their daughter Suzanne was born.

Charles loved to travel, especially to England, where he followed his lifetime interest in British history, especially of the Anglo-Saxon period. He read acidly on many subjects, including English and American history and biography and the astronomy of outer space.

Charles was preceded in death by his wife of 40 years, Shirley Radcliffe and his daughter, Suzanne Wilholt.

Survivors include his sister, Barbara Radcliffe Rogers (Stillman); sister-in-law, Barbara Piunti; son-in-law, Jeff Wilholt (Kelly) and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at 11 am on Monday, December 9 at NICHOLS-GILMORE FUNERAL HOME, 212 E. Justis St. Newport, DE 19804 where visitation will begin at 10 am. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Brandywine Valley SPCA, 600 South St, New Castle, DE 19720.

To send an online condolence visit www.nicholsgilmore.com.