Charles D. Park

Charles (Chuck) David Park - named after his grandfathers ’ Charles Park and David Woosley - was born in Escondido, CA on March 22nd, 1934 to John Virgil and Virginia Hirst Park. He attended Orange Glen School in Escondido from grades 1-8 and graduated from Escondido Union High School in 1951. He delivered papers for the Times Advocate while in High School. Then at the age of 15, while delivering papers on his bike, a drunk driver struck and seriously injured him. From this accident he acquired a large scar on his left arm, a scar he proudly displayed in one of his high school yearbooks. He also worked for the Escondido Animal Clinic near the end of his high school years. From childhood until he left for college Chuck attended Emmanuel Faith Church in Escondido and was active in their youth group.

Chuck left Escondido in 1951 to attend Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA, where he completed his first year of college. He then attended San Diego State University from 1952-55, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry. Following graduation he worked in Trona, CA as a chemical engineer with the American Pot Ash Company. It was in 1957 Chuck’s sister Esther brought her fellow nursing student and friend, Dorothy (Dottie) Marshall home for dinner. Following this fortuitous introduction Chuck then courted, and in 1959 married, Dottie. Shortly after moving to San Diego in 1960 their first child, Russell, was born. Their second child Karen followed in 1963. During this time Chuck and Dottie briefly attended Clairmont-Mesa Baptist Church before regularly attending Scott Memorial Baptist Church (SMBC).

In 1965 Chuck began his graduate study in Chemistry at San Diego State University, graduating with the Master’s Degree in 1967. Immediately after he began teaching chemistry at Grossmont Community College (GCC), just before their 3rd and last child, Katie was born in 1968.

In 1972 the Park family began attending College Avenue Baptist Church (CABC) where they became established in a home Bible study group and there made many life-long friends who have been part of Chuck’s family circle for the past 40 years. While attending CABC Chuck taught a variety of Sunday School classes including the Home Builders and Fellowship adult classes, collegiate classes as well as many Apologetics classes. He was involved in Boys Brigade, the church scouting organization for young men at both SMBC and CABC, organizing and leading many camping trips for the young men.

At GCC Chuck distinguished himself by earning their highest rank, Professor Emeritus, was the faculty Bible study leader for over 25 years and was a sponsor for the campus Intervarsity Christian Fellowship chapter.

Outside of career and church Chuck enjoyed many activities with his family and friends such as camping and fishing in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains - Mammoth Lakes in particular - biking, and many memorable trips to Canada, Colorado, Hawaii, the San Juan Islands, and Spain.

After retiring from GCC in 1999, whether on travel or at home, Chuck could always be found immersed in his greatest pastime of reading. Although he enjoyed reading books of Fantasy – reading many of these to his children when they were young – it was the topics of Philosophy of Science, Apologetics and Theology that consumed his time and daily interest, an intellectual diet which always supported and informed his second greatest pastime of teaching these same topics.