Charles W. Held

HELD, Charles W., passed away Thursday, July 7, 2016. He was born November 29, 1943 in Sandusky, Ohio. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles A. Held and Margaret (Gast) Held, by his wife of 46 years, Jan (Miller) Held in January of 2011, and one sister, Sondra Held Hotchkiss in May of 2011. He is survived by his sons, C. Bradley Held of Chicago and Jeffrey P. Held of Vandalia; one sister, Debra Held Moore of Vandalia and several nieces and nephews.

Mr. Held was a 1961 graduate of Sandusky High School, and attended Miami University. He joined the Winters National Bank (Bank One and Chase Bank) as a Teller in 1964. He rose through the ranks of the organization and in 1991 was name President of the bank and also named to the Board of Directors. When Bank One charters were collapsed in 1997, Charles was named the National Sales Manager for Retail Distribution for Bank One Corporation. He elected early retirement in 1999 after a 35-year career. During his 35 years, he expanded the bank’s branch system by 20 offices, opened loan production offices in Atlanta, Georgia, and opened the bank’s Dayton branches on Sundays, the first bank in the United States to do so. He also was instrumental in expanding the banks private label credit card program, making it the third largest in the U.S.

After retirement, Mr. Held served as a consultant to MidUSA Credit Union, and Buffalo Pacific, LLC. While Mr. Held had a successful career as a banker in his own right, his real enjoyment came from assisting people with their careers, identifying people with potential, and giving them the opportunity to be successful. He believed in surrounding himself with people that were bright, worked hard, and were team players. He always attributed his success to the people that worked with him. He touched the lives of many bankers in the Dayton community. Mr. Held served on The Wright State University Foundation Board, Red Cross Board, Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce Board, Aullwood Center Board, Eastway Corporation, and many others. He was also the Past President of the Dayton Chapter of The American Institute of Banking. He was inducted into the Martin Bayless Charitable Foundation Hall of Fame in 2012 for his work with Mr. Bayless over 25 years.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am, Tuesday, July 12, 2016 at the Morton & Whetstone Funeral Home, 139 S. Dixie Dr., Vandalia. Entombment will take place at Dayton Memorial Park Cemetery, Whispering Pines Mausoleum. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Monday evening from 5-8 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Montgomery County Animal Shelter, SICSA, or the charity of your choice in memory of Charles.