Charles Lee Graner

Charles, known affectionately as Chuck or Chub by his friends and family, was a proud native Colorado Springs "Westsider" and the eldest of seven siblings. Born to Donna Plyler – a remarkable character in her own right During his youth, Chuck, typically accompanied by his lifelong best friend, David Aden, enjoyed the normal boyhood mischief. Their shenanigans included egging his elementary school rivals, tossing M-80s in mailboxes, and enjoying all the adventures the Westside offered.

Chuck graduated from Coronado High School in 1973, and he married his high school sweetheart, Nancy Teakell, soon after in 1975. The couple celebrated 48 years of marriage. Chuck first caught Nancy's attention while helping his Aunt Linda collect bundled Gazette newspapers for distribution. His flirtation technique was the foolproof method of shooting rubber bands at Nancy and her sister Janet.

Throughout his life, Chuck was a “gear head” and avid hobbyist; he enjoyed car culture, illegal street drag racing, slot car racing, r/c car racing, and attending a variety of events at dragstrips and race tracks local to Colorado. He was particularly fond of drag races at Bandimere Speedway, sprint car races at Colorado National Speedway, his gold '67 GTO, and his blue '67 Camaro. In the '80s and '90s, he was a familiar sight on the Westside, often seen driving his distinctive, yellow ’48 Willys Jeep.

In addition to his love for cars and car related hobbies, Chuck enjoyed playing pool at local watering holes, participating in bowling leagues, and fishing and hunting in the Colorado mountains. He and Nancy welcomed their only child, Chris, in 1975, who now lives in Salt Lake City and, unsurprisingly, works in the motorsports industry.

In his professional life, Chuck worked in production at Sinton’s Dairy and later delivered oxygen for medical service companies.

Despite occasionally displaying a short temper that could easily provoke an eyeroll, Chuck will be remembered as infinitely thoughtful and caring to those he loved. He had a knack for amateur electrical engineering and tinkering with devices, often related to his various hobbies. He had an enormous love for cats, caring for his indoor pets as well as the strays that showed up for his daily outdoor feedings.

Chuck passed away at Memorial Hospital on January 26, 2024 at the age of 69, following a week-long battle with complications from pneumonia. He departed peacefully at 7:12 AM on Friday, surrounded by his family, who spent the entire preceding night sharing and reminiscing about the stories of his life, many of which have been shared here.

At Chuck's strong request, the family will not have a service, but we appreciate all of the heartfelt support we have received during this time.

If you would like to honor Chuck, please consider a donation to the general fund at Happy Cats Haven in Manitou Springs.

https://happycatshaven.org/animal-shelter-donations/