Charles "Chief Charlie" Henry Thompson

He is survived by his 4 children, 9 grandkids, 13 great grandkids, and 1 nephew.

Charles was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1936. He completed all his education in the city of his birth, graduating from Jefferson High School, at age 18, in 1954.

At the very young age of just 14 years, Charles started his working life at Pacific Northwest Bell. At the same time, he was also putting in additional part-time hours at his uncle’s Radio and TV repair shop, primarily with the goal of earning enough to afford the family's first television set.

At age 17, Charles started his military career by joining The Oregon Air National Guard. His service later transitioned to the US Air Force, where he proudly served his country for more than 38 years. Charles retired from the Air Force with the esteemed title of Chief Master Sergeant, though many will remember him fondly as “Chief Charlie.”

His love of aircraft was matched only by that of the railroad, especially steam locomotives. Charles spent hours as a child watching trains arriving and departing via Union Station and navigating through the various railroad yards in Portland. He was an avid collector of model railroads and devoted an entire room of his home for his working model setup and extensive collection of vintage train items.

Charles enjoyed traveling throughout the US and made several trips to Europe. You better believe he never missed an opportunity to ride the local rails whenever he explored. As a WWII history buff, Charles also was certain to make stops at numerous military and railroad museums wherever he went.

Charles was a dedicated member of the Elks Lodge in Beaverton and Hillsboro for more than 60 years.

He shared his care for the community by performing charity work via the St. Vincent de Paul food bank, making and delivering holiday meals- every year- for better than 13 years.

Chief Charlie left a lasting impression on many throughout his life, and he will be greatly missed by those fortunate to know him.