His paternal forefathers, the Arensbergs and Maynadiers, were instrumental in defending their country in time of war, and in later years the Arensbergs took part in the development of Pittsburgh as a vibrant industrial city.
Charles Covert Arensberg, a lifelong resident of Shadyside, died from complications of a stroke on Monday, July 9, 2001, in his son's home in Louisville, Ky. He was 88.
Mr. Arensberg's grandfather, Conrad Christian Arensberg, as a member of Wade Hampton's Battery B during the Civil War, fought in the battles of Chancellorsville, Wildneress and Gettysburg, and later served as national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic.
The Maynadiers, who were French Huguenots, date back to the mid-1600s, when they arrived in Maryland. Their descendants fought in both the Revolutionary and Civil wars. Mr. Arensberg's wife, Gertrude, was a descendant of the Hays family, Scotch-Irish pioneers who fought in the French and Indian Wars.
In the ensuing years, following graduation from Harvard Law School, Mr. Arensberg established himself as a prominent Pittsburgh attorney, and served a 30-year term as chairman of the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation.
He used his avocation as an architectural historian to be involved in the development of such monumental projects as the Mexican War Streets on the North Side and Station Square on the South Side.
'When it came to the history of Pittsburgh and the nation, Charles Arensberg was a wellspring of information,' said businessman and publisher James A. Fisher. 'In his quiet, gentle manner, he was intellectually deep and broadly educated.'
As a former president of the Harvard-Yale-Princeton-Pittsburgh Club, Mr. Arensberg was regarded as 'a perfect gentleman,' said club manager Jeanne Davis, 'who greeted both members and employees with his same gentle demeanor.'
His numerous commitments included serving as a vestryman at Calvary Episcopal Church, East Liberty, and as chairman of the board of the Ellis School when it was moved to its present location in East Liberty.
Mr. Arensberg married Gertrude 'Gay' Herron Hays Herron in 1940 and she died in 1995.
Mr. Arensberg is survived by a daughter, Susan A. Diacou of New York City; sons, Conrad C.M. Arensberg of Harrisburg, Charles Shaw Arensberg of Louisville, Ky., and Jonathan A. Arensberg of Bakerstown, Allegheny County; and five grandchildren.
Friends may call at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Calvary Episcopal Church Parish House. Funeral services will follow at 11:30 a.m.
