Chuck was born on October 23, 1937 in Radisson, Wisconsin to Charles and Gertrude (Katie) Gehrts. In 1940 they moved to Plymouth, Wisconsin and Chuck lived there until he entered the Navy in 1956. A proud graduate of Plymouth High School, he made the trip back to Wisconsin for his high school reunion every five years without fail, re-connecting with many classmates who remained close, lifelong friends.
After his graduation in 1956, Chuck went to work with his mother at the Cleveland Container Company until November of that year when he joined the US Navy as a signalman. Some of his best stories came from this time spent abroad traveling from port to port. Shortly after Chuck left, Katie met Charles Voreis. They were married in 1958 and made their home in Granite Falls, Washington. It was during his visits there that Chuck met Beverly Horn whom he married in the summer of 1961.
In 1962 his first son Matthew was born, followed four years later by his only daughter Melinda. It was during this time that Chuck started driving bus for Seattle Transit, which later became Metro Transit. Chuck and Beverly divorced in 1967.
It was while driving his regular bus route in 1967, that Chuck met Ann Johnson. They started dating in the summer of 1968 and were married on March 29, 1969. They began their married life living in an apartment on Roosevelt Way and then a rental house in the North Beach area, before moving in the summer of 1971 to the house in the Broadview area where they would spend the rest of their lives.
The first ten years of their marriage was a very busy time as Chuck went from being a bus driver to a facilities planner with Metro while Ann was busy working as a bookkeeper and teller at Rainier Bank. In their free time Chuck and Ann served as co-directors for the Luther League at Faith Lutheran Church, sang in the church choir, and were very active with the North Seattle Jaycees. Summers were spent travelling and camping with Matt and Melinda, with highlights being fishing trips to La Push on the Olympic Peninsula, the Jaycees annual campout at Crescent Bar, and Memorial weekends at Cottage Lake.
In 1978, Ann and Chuck’s son Jonathan was born and in the years that followed Chuck was able to share his passion for sports with Jonathan as they attended many local sporting events together and as Chuck and Ann became avid fans of Jon’s little league baseball games. Chuck and Jon also shared a special time when Jonathan was in high school and Chuck chaperoned a church youth group trip to Yakima to help build houses for Habitat for Humanity.
Meanwhile Chuck progressed with Metro to become a Transit Planner in 1980, a job which he held until his retirement in 1996. It was in that same year that Melinda’s daughter Miranda was born and Chuck became a grandfather for the first time. Miranda was the light of his life and he continued to be actively involved in her life, reveling in the role of “Papa”.
After retirement Chuck became a fulltime caregiver “extraordinaire” as he took care of both Ann and Katie, allowing them to remain at home until their deaths in 2005, three months apart. In the intervening years, Chuck made sure that they all lived life to the fullest, chauffeuring them on trips back east and to Canada to visit family and friends.
After Ann’s death, Chuck continued his involvement with Faith Lutheran through the church council and was instrumental in establishing a beautiful and unique church memorial on Ann’s behalf. His continued devotion to her was evident in his daily visits to the cemetery, where he would sometimes sit for hours reading.
During this time, Chuck’s friends at the 125th Street Bar and Grill rallied around him forming a loyal support group. He also began volunteering at the St. James Cathedral soup kitchen and the Special Olympics, where, as usual, he made long-term friends quickly.
Throughout his adult life Chuck was continuously involved with one military organization or another. His patriotism was worn proudly on his sleeve. He served in the US Navy from 1956-1962, the Air Force from 1965-1968, and the Army Reserves from 1973 to 1992. After retiring from the military he was also actively involved in the American Legion for several years.
In the weeks before his death, Chuck’s ongoing back pain kept him from volunteering at the soup kitchen, so on the Tuesday before his death, Jack Kelly, one of the other volunteers, brought lunch to Chuck. Later, Jack told the family how much he enjoyed seeing Chuck and described how Chuck had launched into a spontaneous life review, sharing in the 1½ hour visit the highlights of his life, including his pride in his children and granddaughter, his gratitude for the years he had with Ann, and his love of God and country.
Chuck died suddenly and unexpectedly in the early morning hours of August 26, 2010 leaving family and friends from every facet of his life to grieve his passing. He will be remembered for his generosity, smile, laughter, his strong faith, and his love of family.