Charlotte H. (Purnell) Langrall, pioneering science educator
Charlotte H. (Purnell) Langrall, 91, formerly of Georgetown, a pioneering science educator, died Sunday, May 10, 2020.
Born Oct. 10, 1928, in Wilmington, Charlotte Mae Hedlicka was the daughter of the late Ethel and Joseph Hedlicka. H. Orland Langrall Jr., whom she married in January 1988, predeceased her in 2015.
She is survived by sons Harold W.T. Purnell II and his wife Stephanie, and John T. Purnell Jr. and his wife, Denise all of Lewes. Also surviving are grandchildren Jennifer Purnell Knox and her husband Andrew of Charlotte, N.C., Harold W.T. Purnell III and his wife Erin of Arlington, Va., Elizabeth Purnell Straub and husband John of Pasadena, Md., Victoria Purnell of Philadelphia, Pa., Trey Purnell of Baltimore, Md., Nicholas Purnell of Fort Lee, Va., and Alex Arenburg of Rhode Island; and great-grandchildren Henry Nathan and Caroline Alice Purnell of Arlington.
She also was predeceased by Thomas Rodney “Rodder” Purnell, a son who died in 1980 from complications stemming from a tragic accident. Her first marriage to the late John T. Purnell ended in divorce.
Other survivors include stepson Dean Insley Langrall of Ocean City, Md.; stepdaughter Jane Langrall Robinson and William, her husband; stepgranddaughter Emily Hopkins, her husband Rob and their sons, Jameson and Landon, all of Salisbury, Md.; and one cousin, Deanie Rinehardt of East Derry, N.H.
Charlotte was a 1946 graduate of P.S. duPont High School in Wilmington and the University of Delaware (1950), where she also earned a master’s degree in 1963. Charlotte was a microbiologist in Philadelphia before relocating to Sussex County, where she taught high school science in Millsboro and Georgetown. In 1967, Charlotte was appointed Delaware public schools’ science supervisor, the lone woman in the U.S. at the time to hold that position.
She had an instrumental role in developing material for science instruction in response to increased national interest in science education. In 1974, she became dean of development at Delaware Technical Community College in Georgetown, retiring from that institution in 1988.
In light of the national emergency, there will be no services. Please visit www.HollowayFH.com to view a memorial tribute service by the Rev. Benita Harris. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made to Asbury United Methodist Church, 1401 Camden Ave., Salisbury MD 21801; Pemberton Hall Foundation, 25416 Fairway Drive, Quantico, MD 21856, or a favorite charity.
