Charles "Chuck" A. Kroupa, 88, of Woburn, Massachusetts, passed away on October 31st, 2026. Though his full middle name was Aloysius, Chuck was never fond of it and preferred to go by his middle initial, A., a small preference he was known to defend quite firmly. Born and raised in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, he was the son of the late Charles “Charlie” Kroupa Sr. and Rose (Moskal) Kroupa, and brother to Martha (Horvat) and Theodore. Chuck met the love of his life, Shirley Kopas, in Braddock, Pennsylvania in 1957. They married and built a beautiful life together spanning over six decades.
Chuck began his career as a data processing manager for Pittsburgh Des Moines (PDM) on Neville Island. With his forward-thinking approach and knack for innovation, he quickly advanced to lead the company's global data processing department. Among the many projects he was proud to have contributed to was the design and construction of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri. During his long tenure at PDM, Chuck and Shirley raised their family on a 72-acre farm in Ohioville, Pennsylvania. Here, they bred beef cattle and quarter horses; tended a vegetable garden; and grew fields of corn and hay. He ran the farm by night and weekend, doing nearly all of the equipment and property maintenance himself, hiring outside help only for butchering and hay baling.
In 1993, the family moved to Moon Township, trading the farm for a cul-de-sac home. His career later took him to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he managed the network integration of Nations Bank and Bank of America, two of the largest banks in the country at the time. Chuck held several consulting roles, his expertise always in high demand, before fully retiring in 2017. He spent his retirement years applying the same discipline to his own finances, developing an investment strategy that provided steady income for his family.
An entrepreneur at heart, Chuck was never afraid of hard work. He started his first business repairing televisions in the Pittsburgh area, and later built several online businesses, including a jewelry shop and an investment education website.
Chuck had a deeply curious mind. He was fascinated by quantum physics and philosophy, regularly reading and attending seminars from well-known professors in both fields. He loved fishing, photography, and time outdoors, and he never lost his sense of adventure. One of his favorite stories was of riding his bicycle through the Squirrel Hill tunnels while they were still under construction, where he and his friends would grab blasting caps to set off their own small explosions.
Chuck is survived by his three children, Debbie (Eddie) Mihalow, Diana (Mark) Reed, and Michael (Jenny) Kroupa; and his grandchildren, Jessica Mihalow and Jake Reed. He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Shirley; his parents, Charles and Rose Kroupa; his siblings, Martha Horvat and Theodore Kroupa and his grandson, Danny Mihalow.
Heartfelt thanks to the receptionists, care workers and activity directors who showed Chuck love and affection during his final days.
"No services are planned at this time. In lieu of flowers, the family invites those who wish to honor Chuck to make a donation to The Alzheimer's Association:
https://www.alz.org/"