Charles S. Tumosa, Ph.D., of Timonium, age 80, ended his courageous battle with kidney disease on Thursday, July 3, 2025. He was born in Philadelphia on January 15, 1945, the son of John and Josephine (nee Pozesky) Tumosa and brother of John J. Tumosa. Survived by his wife of 42 years, Joanne (Thomson Coyle), and loving father to sons Paul Coyle and Tom Thomson.

After graduating from St. Joseph's University (1966), he completed his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry at Virginia Polytechnic Institute (1972). As the Supervisor of the Criminalistics Laboratory of the Philadelphia Police Department from June 1972 until August 1989, he moved that lab forward from two technicians with limited equipment to a state-of-the-art lab, which was able to analyze over 60,000 cases per year. He accepted his next position as a Head of Analytical Services at the Conservation Analytical Laboratory at the Smithsonian Institution from 1989 until 2006.  He contributed his expertise in examining and recommending the restoration of projects like the Enola Gay, the Star Spangled Banner, and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Some of his most important work was research into the chemical and mechanical properties of drying of artist's oil paints and its effect on the durability of paintings around the world. He ended his career at the University of Baltimore as a professor in the Forensic Science Program from January 2007 to the present. He taught his students that following proper protocol, while providing a thorough analysis of evidence, ensured an accurate representation of the crime scene, allowing for the truth to be revealed. This returned power to the victims and their families.

He loved research, but just as importantly believed research should be published, so that all new thoughts and discoveries could be shared with the world. He contributed to over 375 publications and formally presented over 102 talks to professional organizations and conferences.

Active in the Timonium community as a lifelong member of the Cockeysville Optimists, he was involved in all the service efforts of the Optimists organization, from Shop with a Cop and the Timonium Fairgrounds Motorcycle Races to Scholarship Awards given to local school students.

Above all, he enjoyed spending time with his wife and sons and was often seen dining out with his family every Friday night.

A short Prayer Service will be held at 2 PM followed by a Celebration of Life from 2PM to 4PM on Monday, July 28, 2025, at Peaceful Alternatives Funeral & Cremation Center, 2325 York Road, Timonium, MD 21093. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Charlie's name to Phoenix Wildlife Center Project K9 Hero Cockeysville Volunteer Fire Dept. or Defenders of Animal Rights

For those who are unable to attend the service, a Zoom meeting has been set up to live stream from 2PM until the end of the Prayer Service. The information and direct link is listed below:

Peaceful Alternatives is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Charles Tumosa Prayer Service
Time: Jul 28, 2025 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89863574422?pwd=S6iVQoo5H4uPtOYzaqrABevzCYNPQ8.1

Meeting ID: 898 6357 4422
Passcode: 730720

Please leave online condolences to the family at www.peacefulalternatives.com