Charles R. Cavender

Charles Richard Cavender, son of Zopher and Merle Cavender, was born on September 17th, 1934 in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1956, Charles joined the United States Airforce where he served in the 343rd Squadron – a Squadron devoted to maintaining and building F-102 Delta Dagger American interceptor aircrafts. During his time in the Airforce, he was stationed in Duluth, Minnesota where he met his beloved wife, Donna Cavender. They soon married in 1959 and were since married for 61 years loving two children: John and Brenda Cavender. After an honorable discharge in 1960, North American Aviation and, later, Perkin-Elmer employed his services as an Electrical Technician focused on several aeronautic-type missions and endeavors including the Apollo space missions and the Hubble Space Telescope.

After retirement, Charles was a devoted volunteer of Planes of Fame in Chino, California and Loma Linda University Health. His charismatic attitude and witty sense of humor made him loved by many. Whether he was helping at a Plane of Fame event or delivering donations to patients at Loma Linda University, Charles exhibited a tremendous amount of respect for others and cared deeply for their well-being. As a member of the United States Airforce, Charles also believed in the fundamental rights and freedoms of being an American citizen. He loved his family greatly and enjoyed the quality time that came with being around them. Even to his last moments, his thoughts were centered on his family and his unwavering love for them.

Charles passed away on Monday, August 16th,2021 in Ontario, California. His wonderful life will forever be cherished by the lives of his immediate family: wife Donna Cavender, son John Cavender, daughter-in-law Sylvia Cavender, grandchildren Jonathan Cavender, Korinne Cavender, Trevor Cavender, Torey Arlotti, Julie Karns and great-grandchildren Ava Cavender and Collins Cavender.