Charles Forrest Pletcher

Charles “Charlie” Forrest Pletcher, 82, of Lady Lake, Florida, died November 25th, 2025.

He was born on February 23, 1945, in Detroit, Michigan, to Forrest “Art” Pletcher and Betty Jane (Gonsey) Pletcher.

Charlie graduated from Holy Redeemer High School in 1961. He then attended Henry Ford Community College, where he was President of the Sigma Chi fraternity chapter.  He continued his studies at Eastern Michigan University. While in school, he worked for and was mentored by Ray Martyniak at Ray's Choice Meats in Allen Park, Michigan.  Ray's mentorship and business lessons guided Charlie throughout his career.  Charlie moved into human resources in 1963, joining a franchise of Snelling & Snelling Personnel staffing agency for four years until he purchased a franchise in 1973, later relocating it from Detroit to Royal Oak, Michigan.

In 1979, along with Bob Fisher and Don Lussier, Charlie formed what eventually became The Transition Team outplacement firm. Originally partnering with Oakland University, the Transition Team helped thousands of laid-off workers across the country find new jobs or prepare for retirement.  Over the following decade, he built the business up and franchised throughout the eastern U.S., eventually selling The Transition Team in the mid 1990s. During that time,Charlie authored numerous instructional manuals, case studies, and training films on the topic of adult career/life planning.

He relocated to Florida in 1994, first to Sand Key, then to the Ocala area, where he bought houses in Del Webb Spruce Creek, leasing them fully furnished to residents waiting for their own homes to be completed.  Charlie was an active member of the Spruce Creek community and the greater Ocala area performing arts, including the writing group (Writers' Bloc) and Karaoke group (Del Webb City Singers) in Spruce Creek. For many years, he provided and deliveredThanksgiving Dinners to Spruce Creek community residents. He also helped fundraise for local Belleview High School performing arts clubs.  An avid storyteller, Charlie wrote for several local publications in and around Ocala, including the Ocala StarBanner, The Villages Daily Sun, and The Horizon, a Del WebbSpruce Creek community publication. He was also the author of two books, "The Prayer Meeting Guise", a mystery/suspense novel, and "Narrations in a Nutshell: An Anthology of Original Short Stories, Word-Play, Poems and an Essay."

In memory of his parents, Charlie founded the Forrest Arthur Pletcher Memorial Fund at the Grand Rapids Foundation, creating the Forrest Arthur Pletcher Carpentry Grant and Betty Jane Pletcher Culinary Grant at the Gerald Ford Job Corps in Grand Rapids, Michigan, giving funds to students who exemplified character traits his parents instilled in him as a child: “integrity, craftsmanship, and enthusiasm.”

Charlie is survived by his children, Charlene E. Pletcher, Charles F. Pletcher, II, (Sarah E. Granger), grandchildren Merin (Hodge) Koory (Phil Koory), Bradley A. Hodge, II, Julia R. Pletcher, great grandchild Lily Koory, and siblings Mary Lou Clark, Elaine Henney, Richard Pletcher, and Arthur E. Pletcher. He was preceded in death by his parents, Art and Betty Jane Pletcher.  

Per Charlie’s request, there will be no service. His ashes will be spread, joining those of his parents, in the Great Smoky Mountains.  In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Forrest Arthur Pletcher Memorial Fund via Grand Rapid Community Fund, or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, a foundation he supported for over 50 years.