Charles Eugene Hendricks

Charles Eugene "Chuck" Hendricks (Chief Warrant Officer - 4, US Army, Retired); husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, and friend to many; passed away April 4, 2019 from complications following cancer due to exposure to agent orange. He joined the US Army as a reservist in 1947 served in Korea and Viet Nam, and retired from active duty at the grade of CW4 while advocating for creation of the rank of CW5. Together with his wife and six children, he spent two tours of three years duration first in Nellingen, and later in Mannheim, Germany.

Chuck was born on the eighth of May, 1930 in Tacoma, Washington to Martin and Kathryn Hendricks and spent his formative years on his father's farm in Puyallup, where he graduated from high school. He met Polly (Florence Paulene Robinson), his bride-to-be, while he worked as a trail cowboy and she was employed as a soda jerk (later a Boeing draftsperson, multimedia artist, and federal employee). The lovers married July 14, 1955, two days before Chuck went active duty.

Chief Warrant Officer Hendricks fathered six children. Martin is a Physician's Assistant; Denis, Shawn, and Roy hold bachelors degrees, Penny is an accountant, and Terry is a graphics designer. Chuck is also survived by his sister Maureen, his brother James, ten grandchildren, nineteen great grandchildren (another on the way), and has one great great grandchild expected later this year. He is preceded in death by his brother William and sister Sheila, and infant brother Neil.

Upon retiring from the US Army, Chuck received the Legion of Merit medal, for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements.

Transitioning to civilian life, Mr. Hendricks worked in Arizona as an unlicensed contractor, advertising sales specialist, project manager, before ultimately retiring as a DC Beltway program manager, to return to his beloved desert southwest.

He became a long-time stamp collector. Chuck took an interest in genealogy late in life and traveled extensively to gather and consolidate data. An expert on the software, he lectured to fellow researchers on the Master Genealogist. He and Polly traveled North America for leisure and to conduct genealogical research before settling in Tucson, where he helped teach school children to read, was active with Knights of Columbus, and the Church.

He was 88 years of age at the time of his passage.

Services to be held Thursday, April 11, 2019 at Our Lady of Fatima Church, 1950 Irvington Pl, Tucson, Arizona

12:30 – 1:30pm – Viewing

1:30 Mass

Reception to follow at the church banquet hall.