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Charles 'Bud' Ortman; Bucks teacher, coach

Charles H. "Bud" Ortman, 67, of Yardley, an educator and coach in the Council Rock School District for 35 years, died at home Tuesday of esophageal cancer.

Charles H. "Bud" Ortman, 67, of Yardley, an educator and coach in the Council Rock School District for 35 years, died at home Tuesday of esophageal cancer.

Mr. Ortman began his career teaching fifth grade at Holland Elementary School, where he met his future wife, Kathryn Day. In 1972, he was selected as one of the outstanding elementary teachers of America.

In the late 1970s, he became coordinator of career education for the Council Rock Elementary Schools. For more than 10 years until he retired in 1999, Mr. Ortman was cooperative-education coordinator at Council Rock High School North in Newtown, supervising students who attended school for half a day and then went to jobs. Even after becoming a cooperative coordinator, his wife said, he continued to organize career days for Council Rock elementary schools and was always available to help Council Rock middle schools with career programs.

An outstanding football player at Abington High School, Mr. Ortman was an assistant football coach at Council Rock North for many years. His last year working with the players was in 2006, when his brother Michael was head coach of the Council Rock North team, which went undefeated. Mr. Ortman was also a track coach at Council Rock North for several years and was head basketball coach for three years. Every spring, he was a coach for the girls powder-puff football competition at the school.

Mr. Ortman earned a bachelor's degree in education from Millersville University and took graduate courses at the College of New Jersey and Lehigh University. He was a veteran of the Marine Corps Reserve.

In the 1970s, he volunteered with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America.

He enjoyed painting houses with other retired teachers, spending time with his family at their summer home in Surf City, N.J., and monthly movie and dinner nights out with friends. He golfed and worked out two or three times a week to stay in shape, his wife said.

In addition to his wife and brother, Mr. Ortman is survived by sons C. Todd and Shawn; another brother; three sisters; and three grandchildren.

Friends may call from 6 to 9 p.m. today at Fluehr Funeral Home, 800 Newtown-Richboro Rd., Richboro. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. tomorrow at Grace Point Baptist Church, 592 Washington Crossing Rd., Newtown. Friends may call from 10 a.m. at the church. Burial will be in Newtown Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, 1626 Locust St., Philadelphia.