Charles D. "CD" Shaheen

Charles D. Shaheen 1919-2015

The world lost a true classic on Wednesday, January 21, 2015, when Charles D. “CD” Shaheen, 95, passed away peacefully after a brief stay in the wonderful, caring hands of Crossroads Hospice at Mercy Medical Center. Preceded by his wife, Opal “Brownie” Shaheen (nee Brown), parents Moses and Selma Shaheen, brothers John and Richard “Jeep” Shaheen, and sisters Anna Shaheen and Nellie Joseph. Survived by his brothers, David and Robert, his sisters Bea McPherson and Tess Azar, his son Moses (Leigh) Shaheen and daughter Selma Stolickny and her companion Rich, grandchildren Matthew, Thomas, Anna-Marie, and Robert, and great-grandchildren Evan, Maddie, Ella, Ruby, Lucy, Opal, Selena, and Cassidy. A lifelong resident of Canton, Ohio, CD was a 1937 graduate of McKinley High School, a charter member of the Canton Ex-Newsboys, a 32^nd degree Mason, and a member of the Phoenicians, the Tadmor Shrine, and the Canton Masonic Temple. Born in 1919, CD is the consummate example of why his is considered by many to be America’s greatest generation. His teenage years saw the Great Depression, where he and his siblings were thrust from the frolic of youth to the dire realities faced by so many. And they did not blink. All chipping in for the good of the family, CD’s role was to sell newspapers and travel door-to-door with his father, peddling linens and such, a foreshadowing of his lifelong career as a merchant. At 18, CD was thrust far too early into the role of family patriarch when his father passed away unexpectedly. As the country moved out of the Depression and into WWII, CD supported the war effort by building Corsair fighter planes at Goodyear Aircraft in Akron. It was there that he met the love of his life, Opal. After the war, CD set out to build his empire. Partnering with brothers John and Jeep, CD owned and operated the Tusc and Smith Market, where he mastered the art of retail salesmanship. Later, he purchased The Wheel Café in downtown Canton, which he, John, and Jeep transformed from a dark liquor joint into the social Mecca that it remains to this day under the careful watch of his faithful son, Moe. CD’s talents did not stop there. His sports prognostication and handicapping skills were paralleled only by his knowledge of equities and investing. He based his operation on what he considered to be undeniable truths: politics are crooked, Vegas is fixed, and money talks. Some of his last conversations involved checking stock quotes and the score of the NFC Championship game. He was the original foodie, an avid collector of all things valuable and worthless, and a fan of the Grateful Dead. A man of many sayings, CD often advised that “time waits for no man.” While this rang poignantly true on Wednesday afternoon, it is equally true that memories are eternal. CD left us with many. Calling hours 4 to 7 pm Sunday at Rossi Funeral Home in Canton with Reverend Frs. Michael Corbin and Basil Shaheen leading Trisigion service at 6:30. Additional calling hour at 10AM at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, with funeral service at 11. Internment immediately following at North Lawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church building fund, 1118 Cherry St., NE, Canton, Ohio 44704.

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