Charley Armitage had a hobby that served him well throughout his life: work.
Whether it was helping at his family's grocery store, selling sausages from the back of a truck or founding what may be the most recognizable sausage company in the region, Mr. Armitage saw little difference between work and play.
“My dad was never afraid to take a risk and was innovative in his approach to the company,” his son, Jon, of Cranberry said. “He was always interested in business. Our vacations were going to meat conventions and learning more about the industry.”
Charles Stanley “Charley” Armitage, founder of Uncle Charley's Sausage Co., died Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017. He was 83.
Built from the ground up in the 1980s, the sausage company with the slogan “It Just Tastes Better” stemmed from the Apollo native's hard work and determination.
“Oh, I'm not surprised he started his business,” said George Armitage, Charley's younger brother, of Washington state. “He had exposure to the retail business.”
George recalled his big brother was musically inclined, playing the xylophone and drums for the Apollo High School marching band.
“But his main hobby was working,” his brother said.
Mr. Armitage founded Uncle Charley's in 1981 after years of selling his seasoned sausage products from his truck to area bars, restaurants and grocery stores with his wife, Frances, by his side.
Known for his knowledge of spices and seasonings, Mr. Armitage once sold spices for F.W. Witt and worked in sales before launching several businesses that failed.
“Charley was stubborn and never gave up,” said close friend of 20 years, Tom Toth of Irwin.
“We would go out to dinner, socialize and talk business. I will miss everything about Charley,” he said. “He always said a good salesman is a good storyteller.
“And even though he had several business failures before Uncle Charley's, he was, as I say, ‘too stubborn to fail.' ”
Mr. Armitage was the son of the late Edwin Bryar Sr. and Anna Ferguson Armitage and grew up in Apollo.
He had four brothers who all worked at Armitage's, the family-owned grocery store operated by their father in Apollo.
Mr. Armitage graduated from Apollo High School in 1951 and served in the Army. He returned home to work in the grocery store and married Frances Adomaitis, whom he met as a teenager.
They raised four children.
Mr. Armitage was meticulous at keeping his sausage recipe the same and believed in the freshest of ingredients, longtime friend Pat Wood of Whitehall said.
Armitage lent his voice to his advertising campaign and worked on developing brand recognition.
“What made him most proud was the product itself,” Wood said. “He had a lot of local competition.”
Uncle Charley's eventually captured 16 percent of sausage sales, climbing to the number two spot in the regional sausage market behind a national brand.
The sausage company serves Western Pennsylvania, as well as West Virginia, New York and Ohio, from its Parks Township headquarters.
After enduring a family tragedy, Armitage sold his business to F.N.B. Capital Partners in 2014.
His son, Charles Stanley “Chas” Armitage Jr., who served as president of Uncle Charley's at the time, was killed in a small plane crash in a remote area of West Virginia in 2011.
“Everything changed after his son died,” Wood said.
Armitage was a member of the Apollo Elks and the Moraine Sailing Club and enjoyed fishing.
“He was a great man, and he left a strong legacy for the community,” Wood said.
Joyce Hanz is a freelance writer. The Valley News Dispatch will occasionally run obituary stories on notable local residents. They are news items and as such, no charge is applied. The subjects of these stories are solely the discretion of the editors.
