Charles Wayne Chilton

Charles was born on April 10, 1922 at home, 1240 Vermont St. in Quincy, Illinois. His parents were Wayne C. Chilton and Celia L. Rodemich Chilton. Even as a youngster, Charles learned to be objective and decisive. His faith in the principles of authority and dependability was something that he carried with him throughout his life.

As a young boy, Charles was able to put his natural abilities to work. He was a bit like the sergeant of the family, helping to make sure that the others did what they should do and that they avoided those things they weren’t supposed to. In other words, he liked to organize and direct. Charles was raised with one sister, Eloise. He had an inborn appreciation for the order in the family, allowing for the oldest members to be the most respected and to take on the most responsibility. For Charles, this was a natural order of life, one he gladly embraced.

Charles's matter-of-fact attitude about most things was developed during his childhood. As a young boy, he enjoyed being part of teams, and organizations and groups of other kids who shared similar interests. Charles took part in swimming at Indian Mounds swimming pool in Quincy. In school, Charles was as close to being a model student as one could possibly imagine. He sought to achieve perfect attendance in all of his classes. He would eagerly complete his homework, and often put in extra study time when he felt it was necessary. A logical and focused thinker, he was always good at following directions and meeting his schedules, whether they were set by his teachers or were self-imposed. Charles’s personal motto could well have been, “Do it right the first time.” He graduated from Quincy High School in 1941. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. One of the activities that he was involved in high school was in the Quincy High School Football Team. Some of his friends during High School were Bill Gallegher, Ray Shoopman and Byron David.

Charles’s practical work ethic carried over into his college years. His logical mind permitted him to work hard without succumbing to the usual distractions of college life. He would tackle an assignment and work through it before moving onto the next project. Charles’s orderly nature gave way to establishing personal study habits and procedures that not only helped him stay on track but often put him ahead of schedule. When he saw the need or benefit, he would willingly take on the extra assignment or even attend extra classes in order to learn more and become a better student. He attended Quincy College for two years. One of Charles' close friends from high school who also went to college with was Bill Gallegher.

Charles was sociable and approachable. Because he was always so straightforward in how he approached relationships, friends and family knew that what they saw was always what they got. He enjoyed the camaraderie of being with a group of friends. When Charles was a member of a group, his interaction worked to keep the others grounded. He wasn’t afraid to confront his friends and, when necessary, he challenged them to stick to the task at hand. Those close to him came to expect his high standards of performance.

An objective and conscientious individual, Charles reveled in the security of his family. On April 10, 1948 Charles exchanged wedding vows with Mary Ellen Frey at the St. Rose Church of Quincy, Illinois officiated by Rev. Hugh Cassidy. One of Charles’s most endearing qualities was his uncanny ability to remember important dates and anniversaries, and his unending enthusiasm for organizing a celebration for his family and friends.

Charles was ever watchful of his children. He worried about them and was deeply concerned for their development as they grew up. He maintained a firm hand in their upbringing. He would give his stamp of approval to their requests, as long as he could see how they might benefit. He also had the ability to enforce the rules as needed to ensure that his children were properly raised. Charles was blessed with three sons, Larry, Kurt, and Chuck and he was also blessed with six grandchildren, Clarissa, Aaron, Angie, Joel, Maria, and Steven.

Being a hard worker who praised efficiency, Charles was always striving to make improvements where they were necessary. He was able to analyze situations and problems, keeping everything and everyone on track. An excellent project supervisor, Charles was a person who could quickly make decisions based on the information available. He worked cooperatively and expected the same from his colleagues. In both his personal and professional environments, Charles upheld his standards. His primary occupation was Real Estate Loan Agent where he was employed for home savings and American savings. Throughout work he met some friends Bill Huffman and Hank Redmond. Charles was a team player who certainly lived out the motto of “give me a job, and I will get it done.”

Charles was enlisted in Army Air Force in July 1941. His sense of duty helped lead him into the military where his understanding of rank, his willingness to abide by rules and regulations and his desire to follow orders was admired by his fellow service men and women. He was with the 13th Air Force in the Pacific Theater including New Guinea, Northern Solomon's, and Southern Philippines. Charles saw action for World War II. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant. He received several awards recognizing his for his heroism, including a Good Conduct Medal, Meritorious Unit Award, American Theater Ribbon, American Defense Ribbon, Asiatic Pacific Theater Ribbon, and Philippines Liberation Ribbon with Bonze Star.

Charles approached his leisure time in the same manner that he approached his life. A person who enjoyed being neat and orderly and one who understood the nature of things, he appreciated the hours he was able to devote to his various hobbies. His favorite pursuit was to go golf with Jack Alexander and Bill Neal. He loved to watch 60 minutes, and old war movies. Also, Charles loved to listen to opera, Sergio Franchi, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Charles was a big fan of sports; he loved to watch Golf, the baseball Giants, 49ers and Stanford Football. Charles was content to enjoy his favorite pastimes alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

He held high moral standards and was worried about the moral decay he saw around him. For that reason he held deep spiritual beliefs that he was willing to share. As a Methodist member he was part of the American Legion Post 344, and 13th Jungle Air Force Veterans Association.

When it came time to travel or take a vacation, Charles used his scheduling expertise to make sure everyone and everything was ready to go. That also meant that he made certain no single person was overworked in putting the trip together. Charles had a knack for making sure that everyone who was involved had their specific tasks and that those tasks were completed. Some of his favorite vacations places included Cruises, going to Western Europe and Russia.

Charles was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of Charles’s favorites was Lucky, a family dog and they were best friends for 15 years.

When Charles’s retirement finally arrived in 1992, he was well prepared. He used his critical evaluation skills to make sure that every detail had been preplanned and attended to. His new life involved relocating to Sunnyvale, California and in 2010 he moved to Veterans home in Yountville. In many ways, Charles loved retirement. It provided him with the opportunity to catch up with his friends, attend functions and group outings, and tackle new interesting activities.

Charles passed away on October 19, 2013 at in Yountville, California. Preceded in death by his wife Mary Ellen Chilton and grandson Joel. He is survived by his sister Eloise; son's Larry, Kurt and Chuck; grandchildren Clarissa, Aaron, Angie, Maria and Steven.