Charles E. Stanfill "Charlie"

Passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 4, 2022 at the age of 87. Beloved husband of the late Martha Stanfill (nee Newberry); loving father of Leslie Stanfill and Nancy (Joe) Leonard; adored grandfather of Jack and Piper McCarty.

To know Charlie was to appreciate cigars, beer, anything auto related – especially racing – and humor, preferably the quit-witted variety. He had an eye for good construction and said his favorite past time was “driving a nail”. He appreciated the arts, especially big band music and painting; a talented artist himself, he was doing woodwork at an early age, and went on to supply artwork for the Madison High School yearbook.

A Mason and life member of Triple Lodge 835 and past president of the Ainad Shrine Temple Stage Crew, he could frequently be found painting large backdrops for the temple, usually for the induction of new potentates. For 37 years, Charlie was a member of Ainad and The Scottish Rite bodies, Valley of Southern, IL; he was a member of the Ainad Uniformed Units, the Granite City Low Twelve, the Sword of Bunker Hill, and a Life Member of the Tri-City Shrine Club.

He honed his talents in carpentry early in life, eventually becoming a master carpenter. He was building houses for his family from the early days of just he and Martha when they took over a bank-owned property with no floors in Granite City, IL. From there, they moved to St. Charles, MO, where he and friends built a unique and spectacular home in a new area off Highway 94, when it was just stop signs nailed to posts. The house on Frontier Drive became a haven for memories, celebrations big and small, and just a generally happy place. Charlie transformed the house on Lansdowne into a showplace for Martha, complete with new kitchen, new garage, and a place for their daughters to come home to, and a deck for the two of them to sit on in the evenings, with Charlie usually enjoying a beer, cigar, and listening to the ball game on the radio, his dog Jake in his lap, and any of the grand dogs they might be babysitting nearby.

Charlie never regarded himself as overly important in the grand scheme of things, rather, he was a foot soldier in the day-to-day workings of life. His work ethic was unrivaled – rising at early hours to get to work sometimes after digging out the snowy driveway in St. Charles. He began at Union Electric as a laborer, then bid into the meter reading department, ultimately becoming one of the fastest meter readers around (and providing him with plenty of stories of hopping fences while being chased by dogs). After receiving a certificate in industrial management from Southern Illinois University, he became a manager of the same department, from which he retired after 32 years of service. He could always be counted on to show up with a hammer, nail apron, a radio that received at least AM stations, the ever-present cigar, and a one-liner to carry through the day. He was there to paint dorm rooms for his daughters in the morning and be in a sport coat for dinner with friends later that night.

Charlie’s wry sense of humor was embodied in his famed “chogie” style of running, the commentary of “that French guy DeBris” on race tracks, the promise of the joke Woodeye, which he told both daughters he would tell them on their 21st birthday, but never did (probably because he was too embarrassed), among others. His schematic drawing of “Leaners vs. Layers” regarding which cigars to keep and which to discard, is stuff of legend. He was a member of the International Association of Turtles, which requires a visit to Wikipedia to really appreciate it, and why Charlie was a member.

The Godfather and The Sting were two of Charlie’s favorite movies, and it was often speculated that he felt he could easily be a Corleone. It didn’t matter what time of day those movies were showing – Charlie would watch them. He loved the dance scene from Picnic, the diner scene from Five Easy Pieces, and anything that featured Paul Newman.

An unabashed lefty, Charlie ran with the uniqueness that brought, and reveled in that trait with his niece and grandson. His coin collecting background, and membership in the St. Louis Numismatic Association, taught him to have a sharp eye for random items; this resulted in him picking up anything shiny off the ground, which usually ended up with a payout at the coin shop. He never dismissed anything as worthless - a lesson he taught his kids and carried with him always.

Charlie never met a pork steak he didn’t like, and he was their master. He loved food, and was the envy of his family, with his ability to pack away copious amounts of it with seemingly no effect. One of his favorite trips with Martha and friends was an all-inclusive cruise to Italy, where art and food were the main offerings, and the conclusion was the travel company lost money because of Charlie, due to his eating. He & Martha loved to travel, anytime, all the time. They were excited to help with moves to new places and were known to hop in their car on a whim and go somewhere new. Cruises were favorites, and the buffets were a particular happy place for Charlie.

Auto racing always made Charlie happy. A member of the Belleville Gear Jammers from a young age, Charlie raced midget cars and was a flag man at times. His first car was a 1934 Ford with a Buick V8 engine, which he raced in the drags. He became a member of the United States Auto Club in 1962 and in 1963, became an official, attending races as an observer and scorer. He attended the Indianapolis 500 faithfully for 30+ years, usually with a caravan of family and friends; his invention of a broom handle duct-taped around a cooler for easier carrying caused strangers to stop and stare in awe. DuQuoin, IL, Ontario, CA, Pocono Lake, PA, and Daytona, FL, were just a few of the other races he regularly scored and attended. A.J. Foyt remained his favorite driver, and there was at least one combination lock that had Foyt’s birthday as the combination.

By far, the biggest contribution of Charlie’s life was his loyalty, love and support of family and friends. He was the OG of “Ride or Die”, sticking with someone through the good and bad. He and Martha managed to provide for two daughters, so they always knew they were safe, loved and supported without question. He was driven in his quiet, unassuming way, and it was mostly for the benefit of his family – and it succeeded beautifully. He relished his role of Papa to his two grandchildren, Jack & Piper, and loved nothing more than being active in their lives. He taught them the ways of napping in The Chair, and had the astounding ability to say, “I don’t see why not!” when asked to watch Power Rangers for the umpteenth time. He was proud beyond belief to watch Jack graduate high school and will be there in spirit for Piper’s graduation.

You’ve crossed the finish line, Dad, to checkered flags and the Winner’s Circle. You ran a great race, and we’re all victorious for it.

In lieu of flowers and plants please make a donation in Charlie's name to the Shriner's Hospital for Children, link below.