Chuck is the reason I am a member of Pine Hall Lutheran Church and about the sweetest man one could meet. He has a way of making everyone seem special. He always seemed excited to see you. I will miss him stopping me to say, “I thought of you the other day.” I can see him now, leaning in and smiling like he had a secret, gleefully looking through his many beautiful photos on his phone to find the one he thought I would like (often one of his beloved cats in my case).
In addition to inviting me to church, Chuck has given me a new appreciation for birds and wildlife. He once picked up, drove and released a skunk I had trapped (the skunk was trying to make a smelly home under my apartment). Chuck spent hours with me on the computer one afternoon trying to determine what type of bird I had taunting me in my backyard based only on my memory of what it sounded like. And, after I moved a little further away, Grace and Chuck continued to help me out by giving me some furniture and an occasional bunch of rhubarb.
Chuck’s relationship with Grace was a blessing for everyone that knew them. They were so sweet and gentle toward one another. Their names will probably be forever one in my mind…Chuck and Grace; Grace and Chuck. While I cannot imagine the loss Grace is feeling right now, I hope she knows that we grieve with her.
I imagine him playing banjo to loved ones in heaven, surrounded by beautiful birds and animals. Every moment like one of the many beautiful photographs he’s taken.
