September 14, 1946 – May 5, 2026
Charlotte Lynn Nath, beloved mother, grandmother, sister, nurse, educator, scholar, and longtime member of the Morgantown and West Virginia University communities, died on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Los Altos, California. She was 79.
Charlotte was born on September 14, 1946, in Buckhannon, West Virginia, a daughter of the late Margie and Reverend David D. Reese.
She grew up with her siblings Bradley, Michael, Timothy, and Pamela Reese, all of whom survive her. From those early roots came many of the qualities that defined her life: devotion to family, deep faith, and a commitment to service.
Charlotte attended West Virginia Wesleyan College, where she studied nursing, beginning a lifelong commitment to health care and education. She later earned her Ed.D. from West Virginia University and served as a professor of family medicine at WVU. As a nurse, certified diabetes educator, and researcher, her work focused on patient education and health literacy. She was known for always seeking ways to make care more accessible and understandable for the patients and families she served. Charlotte remained deeply connected to West Virginia Wesleyan throughout her life and later served as a trustee of the college.
Charlotte was married to the late Dr. Joginder Nath, professor emeritus at West Virginia University and longtime chair of the genetics and developmental biology program. Together, Charlotte and Joginder built a life centered on family, scholarship, service, the arts, and the university community they loved.
Their commitment to WVU extended well beyond their academic careers. They established the Nath Lecture Series through the WVU Honors College, an annual lecture featuring distinguished scientists and scholars, along with an awards program recognizing outstanding Honors College seniors. They also supported WVU students through the Nath Student Food Pantry Endowment, created to provide funds for food distributed through The Rack, WVU’s student food pantry. That generosity reflected values Charlotte lived throughout her life: education, care, hospitality, and quiet service to others.
Charlotte had a deep appreciation for the arts. The Nath Sculpture Garden at the Art Museum of WVU stands as a lasting reflection of that commitment. Charlotte worked with students in art, design, and landscape architecture over several years to help plan the garden, creating a place where art, nature, learning, and community could meet. Faith and music were also important parts of Charlotte’s life. She was an active member of the Wesley United Methodist Church in Morgantown, where she sang in the choir.
Charlotte created a welcoming home that brought people together. A gifted cook, she was known for wonderful Thanksgiving gatherings, memorable soups, and holiday treats that became part of family tradition. Those gatherings for extended family left years of warm memories across generations.
Above all, Charlotte was deeply loved and cherished by her family. She was a devoted mother to Pravene and Brian Nath, and a loving grandmother to Samuel, Charles, and Lucy Nath. To her children, she was a source of love, loyalty, wisdom, and constancy. She gave generously of herself and made her family feel known, cared for, and safe. Her love was steady and unmistakable, and it remains one of the great gifts of her life.
Charlotte lived with dementia during the last decade of her life. Even as the illness changed so much, it did not take away the light in her eyes, her smile, or the love her family felt in her presence.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Joginder Nath, and her parents, Margie and Reverend David D. Reese. She is survived by her sons, Pravene and Brian Nath; her grandchildren, Samuel, Charles, and Lucy Nath; and her siblings, Bradley, Michael, Timothy, and Pamela Reese.
A memorial service will be held at a future date in Morgantown. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that contributions be made to The Rack: WVU Student Food Pantry, the Art Museum of WVU, or the Wesley United Methodist Church in Morgantown.
Charlotte’s legacy lives on in her family, in the patients and students whose lives she touched, in the Morgantown community she served, and in the enduring institutions she helped strengthen. She will be remembered for her intellect, generosity, faith, compassion, and the many ways she cared for others.
