Charlie McRae Dahlin

Charlie was a great listener, had a compassionate heart and touched the lives of everyone he met. He relished being on his tractor or riding around the property feeding the birds and squirrels. He would tell anyone he met that “he lived in Paradise and Heber/Overgaard was his home”.

He was proud to be a Vietnam veteran (Army) and served his country well. His love of Harley Davidson motorcycles and animals were his passion and he had such a funny and quirky sense of humor. Charlie’s love of gadgets, fixing things, teaching everything he knew to anyone interested in learning and “funny money” was no secret.

He will be greatly missed, thought about always and the world truly lost a genuine man. He battled with his health everyday but most people wouldn’t know it as he always put others needs and feelings ahead of his own.

Charlie is survived by his wife Diane of 40 years, loving son and daughter, Troy and Tara, granddaughter Paige and 2 great grandchildren.

He loved his sister in law, brother in law, 2 nephews and their spouses and was so fond of his great nephew from across the pond.

A graveside Celebration of Life will be Saturday, March 23, 2019 at 9:00am at Resthaven / Carr-Tenney Memorial Gardens, 4310 East Southern Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85042. Arrangements entrusted to Resthaven / Carr-Tenney Mortuary & Memorial Gardens, Phoenix, Arizona.

Sit tall in the saddle, hold your head up high. Keep your eyes fixed to where the trail meet the sky. Live like you ain’t afraid to die. Don’t be scared, just enjoy your ride.

Good morning my name is Chad Johnson and it is my honor and privilege to be here today as your Dignity Memorial Celebrant as we honor and celebrate the life of Charles McRae Dahlin.

We also gather here today in support of his wife Diane, his kids Troy and Terra, his granddaughter Page and two great grandchildren Kaden and Grace and one on the way. Washington Irving said “There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of over whelming grief…and unspeakable love.”

Each of us knows the journey down this path of grief is not easy and we want you to know that we are here to be a shoulder to lean on and a listening ear when things become too difficult.

Today is our time to laugh, cry and to carve a special place in our hearts for the memories of Charlie to live on forever.

As all of you know, Charlie was unique. He was one of a kind. Yet he knew each of you and if you recall he always called you by your first name, “Bro”. He was always one who cared and put everyone else before himself. He was easy going, somewhat rebellious at times, quiet in his own way and had a big heart. In a little bit I’m going give those who’d like an opportunity to share a brief memory of Charlie.

But let’s go back to where it all started in Redwing, Minnesota on August 14, 1946. Charlie was the youngest of two kids and moved to several little towns in and around the area as he grew up. At this time it was the Post-Depression and families were starting to get their feet back on the ground. He attended school more of a requirement than desire. Charlie’s mom and dad were very caring and helping individuals. They would allow individuals passing through to spend the night and get a meal. Charlie called them “Gandy Dancers” or what we’d call Hobo’s. Maybe this is why Charlie became pretty good at hopping freight trains in his younger years.

He was drafted in the United States Army and felt it an obligation to serve his country despite the feelings and controversy going on. He worked with heavy artillery hence his hearing problems because he didn’t use the proper protection currently being offered.

Add to that, working with heavy equipment, it seemed that if he wanted to hear that his only option was to get hearing aids. He’d come home from work and say that it felt like he had worms in his ears and he’d take out his hearing aids.

Roller Coasters can be an excitement for some. The constant up’s and down and twists and turns can cause different emotions in each one of us. As for Charlie, he experienced this in the 60’s and 70’s. He married and divorced and then married the same person again and then divorced. But despite all the ups and downs Charlie gained the title of father as Troy and Terra were born.

Charlie’s reason for moving to Arizona could have been due to friends, work or weather. They say here in Arizona there are three types of seasons; hot, really hot and are you freakin’ kidding me? Regardless of the reason, Charlie fell in love with the place and a young lady he met by the name of Diane.

Diane recalls that her girlfriend had been dating this guy and he had a friend that they felt Diane should meet. So a blind date was set up and when he finally showed up it was just like Prince Charming arriving on his horse, well his iron horse that is, with his hair blowing in the wind along with his beard. Diane’s eyes went boing, and her response was, “hook me up!” On November 16, 1986 they were married in Las Vegas.

There are several things that we know about Charlie. We all know he was a cement truck driver. We know he’d sometimes work 60 to 80 hours a week and that he never would take a vacation. He’d prefer to work his vacation for the extra cash. He loved Harley’s and had 4 of them at one time along with 2 trikes. Diane had 2 also. We know he was somewhat educated and could read because he was always looking at Easy Rider and Arizona Wildlife magazines. We also know he loved animals of every kind. From cats and dogs to his horses, raccoons, squirrels, deer, snakes and spiders. Every living creature. You might even think he was Noah with that beard. He even wanted an elephant because it would make the construction work that much easier. Among all the things that we know about him, the one thing that stands out above all others is that he was a shit stirrer. He worked for JSJ and Hatch Construction but one year everyone had received a bonus. Everyone including Charlie got the same $100 dollar bonus but Charlie went around telling everyone that he loved his $500 dollar bonus that he got.

Charlie had every type of tool or equipment to take care of any job from mechanics to wood and everything in between. With all these tools the only one thing that Charlie didn’t have so he could completed a building he was constructing out of steel was a welder. He didn’t buy something small but he went all out. By the time he finished the building it cost 2 or 3 times more than had they bought one of the prefab’s that Diane was thinking of. In 2005, Charlie had to get a pacemaker and he wanted to know if he could get a flak jacket so he could still weld.

While up in the Heber, Overgaard area, Charlie was out driving the forest roads and had a heart attack. He drove himself back to the house and then called Diane, who was working and with a client family and explained what was going on. By the time she arrived home, Charlie was sitting there in his underwear, thinking that he would be okay and didn’t need to go into the hospital.

Charlie worked as long as he could because he needed health insurance. Due to his service in the military and coming in contact with Agent Orange, it caused him a lot of health issues. After being given no choice, he retired and with Diane’s pushing, got him disability through the VA.

Despite having to retire and his health challenges, he didn’t let them get him down. He stayed positive finding that yard work kept him busy as well as other things.

Perhaps his greatest joy was being able to reconnect with his kids and granddaughter Page. He got to spend some time with each of them including Page as he took her shopping on day. He found out quickly how difficult it is to shop with a 12 year old.

While in the hospital one time, there was a joke about cutting off Charlie’s beard. One of the male nurses came in one night and Charlie was fake snoring and as he got closer, Charlie said “I’m awake and I have a knife”. This past Monday, Troy was flying into town to see his Dad and spend some time and without any notice, Charlie had complications and Diane called 911. Paramedics arrived working and trying to stabilize Charlie and then rushed him to the hospital. It was then that Charlie passed away.

When I come to the end of the road

And the sun has set for me

I want no rites in a gloom-filled room,

Why cry for a soul set free?

Miss me a little but not too long,

And not with your head bowed low,

Remember the love that we once shared.

Miss me . . . but let me go.

For this is a journey that we all must take,

And each must go alone.

It’s all a part of the master plan

A step on the road to home.

When you are lonely and sick of heart,

Go to the friends we know,

And bury your sorrow in doing good deeds,

Miss me . . . but let me go.

Cement by definition is a powdery substance made with calcined lime and clay. It is mixed with water to form mortar or mixed with sand, gravel or broken stone, and water to make concrete. It can then be spread or poured into molds and that forms a mass resembling stone on hardening.

When you think of Charlie, he was a mixture of a lot of things. Just like cement, it can be put into molds and formed just as Charlie was and he became our rock. So now our rock is gone and all we are left with are his memories and his legacy and it is our responsibility to carry on his legacy in everything we do.

As you leave here today I have a small piece of concrete for you to take with you. Take one and place it where you will see it daily so in the weeks and months to come it will remind you of Charlie. Remember no one dies until they are forgotten.