Charles W. Smurphat

Charles W. Smurphat was a retired electrical draftsman and contract administrator from North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, who spent his career working for some of the region's major industrial employers before retiring to enjoy family, amateur radio, and travel. He was not a public figure in the conventional sense: no Wikipedia biography or national news coverage exists for him. What is known about his life comes from the obituary published by his family through the James W. Shirley Funeral Home in North Huntingdon, which this page follows closely and does not go beyond.

Born on June 2, 1947, Smurphat was the son of the late Charles C. and Margaret Smurphat. He grew up in the Norwin area of Westmoreland County and graduated from Norwin High School. He went on to earn an Associate Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. His first long career stop was at Westinghouse Electric in East Pittsburgh, where he worked as a draftsman for seventeen years. He later worked as a contract administrator for ABB Brown Boveri in Greensburg and then for COE of Youngwood before retiring.

Outside of work, Smurphat was a licensed amateur radio operator holding an advanced class license, call sign WB3BRD, and he belonged to the American Radio Relay League, the main hobbyist organization for ham radio operators in the United States. He was also a devoted Pittsburgh Penguins fan who attended many games over the years with his two children. He and his wife Linda liked to travel out West together, with trips to the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Park among the ones his family remembered most fondly.

Smurphat died on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at the age of 79. His family's announcement, made through the funeral home, did not state a cause of death, and none has otherwise been made public. He was preceded in death by his parents and by his sister, Marilyn Simmons. He is survived by Linda, his wife of 56 years, his daughter Jennifer Mahaffey and her husband Shawn, his son Darren Smurphat and his wife Jennifer, and three grandchildren, Jacob Ghrist, Tyler Smurphat, and Mackenzie Smurphat.

Because Smurphat lived a private life outside the amateur radio community and his family circle, there has been no wider public reaction to his death, no statements from public figures, and no news media coverage beyond the funeral home's obituary notice. His family has arranged a celebration of life at the funeral home in North Huntingdon, where friends and relatives are expected to gather to remember him.