Charles Wesley Wykle
May 20, 1937 ~ April 5, 2026
Born in:
Asheville, North Carolina
Resided in:
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville Butterfly TrailCharles W. Wykle, 88, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, retired teacher, uncle, and friend, died Sunday, April 5, 2026, surrounded by his family.
Son of the late Clan G. and Pearl Wykle, and a native of Asheville, he devoted his life to education, service, family, and faith.
He was married to his beloved wife, Eleanor Rippey Wykle, for 39 years and cared for her devotedly until her death in January 1999.
Charles was the proud father of three daughters, Alesia Mullis (Alan), Lucinda Rosenberg (Eric), and Nancy Wykle (Matt), and his chosen son and daughter-in-law Carleton and Celeste Collins. He was a loving grandfather to Andrew (Kayla), Sarah, Tabitha, Maddy, chosen grandchildren Kathleen and Garrett, and great-grandfather to Kailynn, Liam, Mateo, and Vicky. Charles is survived by brother-in-law Robert Rippey, sisters-in-law, Linda Yokum and Jane Rippey, brothers Glenn Wykle and Earnest Hart, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by sister Dorothy Maxwell and brother Donald Hart.
For 30 years, Charles taught history at Asheville High School, where he educated and inspired thousands of students. He previously taught in Ohio and Florida and remained in touch with many former students he taught, some as many as 50 years ago. He was honored with multiple Teacher of the Year awards.
In 1992, a small group of former students established the Charles and Eleanor Wykle Scholarship Fund, which continues to award college scholarships each year to Asheville High School students. The scholarship fund was created to honor the Wykles’ dedication, accomplishments, and commitment to students and their profound contributions to young people’s lives. Charles, the group noted, had a unique ability to communicate with high school students, giving encouragement and advice.
Charles served on the Buncombe County Board of Education from 1984 to 1992. After retiring from teaching, he helped found the Slavic Resource Center, assisting refugees from Moldova and Ukraine. In a remarkable act of grace, a Moldovan family helped save Charles’ life after Hurricane Helene flooded his home in East Asheville. He was a devoted member of First Baptist Church of Asheville.
Those who knew and loved Charles remember him as compassionate, generous, kind, gentle, wise, and intelligent. He found joy in helping others throughout his life. His family is deeply grateful for the care and compassion shown to him by his caregivers, SECU Memory Care of Asheville, and Elizabeth House hospice care in Flat Rock.
His funeral service will begin at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 9, at First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St. A reception will follow in the church’s Fellowship Hall. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Charles and Eleanor Wykle Scholarship Fund, c/o Asheville City Schools Foundation, PO Box 3196, Asheville, NC 28802.
Groce Funeral Home’s Lake Julian team is assisting the family.
Services
Funeral Service: April 9, 2026 10:30 am
First Baptist Church of Asheville
5 Oak Street
Asheville, NC 28801
(828)252-4781
Reception: April 9, 2026 11:30 am
First Baptist Church of Asheville
5 Oak Street
Asheville, NC 28801
(828)252-4781
Funeral Home Assisting The Family:
Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian
72 Long Shoals Road
Arden, NC 28704
(828)687-3530
http://grocefuneralhome.com
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Please know that you all are in my thoughts and prayers during this sad time.
Former student,
Lisa (Felmet) McCain
Thank you so much, Lisa.
So sorry to hear about Charles’ passing. I knew him through our industry/education connection when I was with Square D Company. I always admired his passion for education and his willingness to sacrifice and help his students achieve successful goals and ambitions. My condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.
Thank you so much for reaching out to us. It means a lot. I remember dad talking frequently about his collaborative work with Square D to help the schools.
Oh, Lissa! Thank you so much for reaching out! Your grandparents were such sweet people! I adored them. ❤️ So many good memories of playing in that field in what we nick-named “Wykle Valley.”
My prayers are with the Wykle family. Mr. Wykle was my favorite teacher, and later when I became re-acquainted with him as an adult, he became one of my favorite people. Your family’s loss will be shared by countless people who were fortunate enough to have known him.
Thank you so much, Sara for your kind words about dad. Your family is special to us.
Thank you so much, Jay! That means so much to us.
Nancy,
Carolyn and my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Having loss my mother recently I know hard this time can be. But always remember the happy time, they will give you strength.
Sandra
Charlie was my American History teacher at Barnesville (Ohio) HS. Through the years since we had remained in touch. His friendship was a cherished part of my life. His favorite quote was “save your Dixie cups, the South will rise again!” What an amazing man! He is reunited with his beloved Eleanor, that is worth rejoicing. RIH Mr Wykle.
Dear Lenane, thank you so much for reaching out, and for all the cards you sent to him over the years. It meant so much to him.
Thank you so much for sharing this, Kizzy. Our parents adored you! They were so proud of you. We often say we have a lot of extended family to whom we are not biologically related. My mom in particular spoke of you often, and so fondly.
My condolences to the family, especially my friend Nancy. Your father was such an amazing teacher. He truly cared about his students and we knew it.
A giant among men, Mr. Wykle profoundly influenced my career and life trajectory with two classes and his stellar teaching thereof. I never thanked him enough. So thank you, Mr. Wykle. Peace and solace to his dear family, whom he clearly treasured.
Thank you so much for your kind words, and for coming to dad’s funeral service. What an amazing career you have had! Dad spoke of you and was so proud of you. Like you, he had a profound impact on my career. I hope you will stay in touch with us.
Amazing teacher. He opened a world and pushed me to excel. My prayers for his family.
I’m so saddened by this news. Mr. Wykle was more than a teacher—he was a steady presence, a source of encouragement, and a true champion for his students. He showed up not just to teach lessons, but to shape lives, always giving his time, patience, and heart without hesitation. He embodied everything a teacher should be, and his impact will live on in the countless lives he touched.
Growing up in Asheville during the 1970s was full of blessings, and one of the greatest was being a student in Mr. Wykle’s American History class. We knew we were lucky to have him as a teacher even then, and our appreciation of him has only grown over the years. I hope he came to realize how treasured, admired and loved he was by his students of many decades.
Mr. Wykle was a dear friend as well as his three daughters. Great people are always a blessing in this troubled world. I will always remember his encouraging words and his friendship.
clarence
Dear Clarence, thank you so much for your kind words! You and Scarlett and your family will always hold a special place in our hearts. We have so many wonderful memories of being with you at FBC. Thank you for your caring and love for us, and for the influence you have had on our lives. You are one of the great people in our very troubled world. ❤️
Gem of a teacher, but even more importantly, gem of a human. I still think of him everytime I hear ‘The Sounds of Silence’ by Simon and Garfunkel – a song he advocated for us to listen to regularly.
What a kind and wonderful man. Blessings and peace to all of Charlie’s family and friends.
My deepest condolences to his family.
May God strengthen you all through this time of loss.
I had the privilege of being taught by both Mr. Wykle and Mrs. Wykle (AHS ‘98). Mr. Wykle’s impact on all of his students was profound and his loss immeasurable. Thank you for sharing him with us! I’m so sorry for your loss.
Your family was so very precious to him. Thank you for the joy you brought into his life. I don’t know if you know how important you were to him. He spoke of you and your family so often. We will forever be connected to you all through him. Thank you for seeing in him the kindness that we saw.
So sad to learn of the passing of your dad Nancy. Thinking of you hope your beautiful memories bring you great comfort.
There were only a few educators that stayed with me as I grew up. Charles Wykle was one of them. I learned a lot about how to learn in his class, how to take notes, how to study though I don’t know that I got good at it.
His AP US history class really entranced me, and I got comfortable talking in class more. We became infrequent debaters of concepts. I remember interrupting his lesson saying, “Ya know…” and he looked almost as if to a camera and said, “You know Mr. Dillin is really getting ready to spout some garbage when he starts of with ‘Ya know’”. We all got a good laugh out of it.
I took other classes he offered and got enchanted with each of them. He nominated me, unbeknownst to me, for the Russian History scholarship award, which I sometimes forget even happened. I told him I had no idea, and he said, “well, you must know you’re one of my favorites.” All that over 30 years ago and I still remember it. I’m sure he had many. He seemed to care a lot about his students.
Over the years I got busy, but would take a moment every so often to check in on him by way of news or internet. I had just thought of him a few days ago, and now see this obituary today. It’s funny how those things work.
Charles Wykle touched a lot of lives. He’ll be missed and fondly remembered.
I know this is a difficult time, but his memory will live on in you and your family’s heart.
I was sad to learn of Mr. Wykle’s passing. Mr. Wykle was a wonderful teacher and his history classes (US History and Russian History) spurred my lifelong love of history. Condolences to his family.
Dear Therese, we are so grateful to you for the loving care you gave to dad during his last year in his home before the hurricane. You made it possible for him to maintain his independence as long as possible. You made sure he got plenty of fresh air and exercise, and prepared him all those delicious meals! You became a dear friend. Thank you!!!
My condolences to the Wykle family. Mr. Wykle was an exceptional teacher and person. Like many students, I fondly recall his classes as challenging and fun. My most impactful memory of Mr. Wykle is post graduation in the summer of 1984 when our classmate Michael Wellisch traveled to NYC for cancer treatment. His stay was at least 4 weeks. Mr. Wykle traveled to NYC and visited with Michael for several of those weeks. Each day spending time to lift Michael’s spirits. Going the extra mile as he did for so many.