Charles Newton Diesel

Charles Newton Diesel, 86, of Great Falls, VA passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at the Brightview Senior Living Community. Born in Thermopolis, WY to Paul and Margaret (Auter) Diesel on October 28, 1930, he lived most of his early life in Craig, CO. As was the case with most families in those days, times were difficult. During the depression, the family lived and worked on his grandfather’s ranch and lived in various towns in western Colorado as construction work became available. During World War II, the family lived in Denver where his father found work in a munitions factory. At the end of the war, the family moved back to Craig. Upon graduating from High School in 1948, Chuck received a scholarship to attend the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO. During his year at Mines, he received an appointment to the US Naval Academy and entered as a plebe in 1949. After graduation from the academy in 1953, Chuck served on the USS Oriskany for a year before entering the Naval Submarine School in New London, CT. Following his graduation from Submarine School, he served 13 years in the submarine forces aboard the Blackfin, Tiru, Sam Houston, Tunney, and Perch. During that stretch, he was stationed in Pearl Harbor, Norfolk, Groton, CT, and Bremerton, WA. The family moved to Annandale, VA in 1967 where they put down roots. During his final 10 years of active duty, Chuck served in various assignments in the Washington, D.C. area. He retired after 24 years in 1977 as a Commander. Following his navy retirement, Chuck worked for several military contracting firms in the metro area. While attending Submarine School, he met his wife, Stephanie (Stevie) Pultorak of Worcester, MA. They were introduced by Chuck’s submarine school roommate, Bud Fakoury, and Bud’s future wife Ellie. Ellie and Stevie worked together as nurses at a local hospital. The two couples remained life-long friends. Chuck and Stevie married in July, 1955 and had five children. They were married for 46 years until Stevie’s death in 2001. Chuck is also predeceased by his daughter Susan Margaret Diesel. Survivors include his younger brother, Joe Diesel (Ann) of Sunnyvale, CA, sons Tom Diesel (Linda) of Waynesville, NC and Jim Diesel (Libby) of Durham, NC, daughters Stephanie Staggs (Rick) of Columbus, OH and Mary Krom (Kevin) of Fairfax, VA, and 11 grandchildren. He is also survived by his beloved dog, Maggie. Devout Catholics, Chuck and Stevie were among the first families of St. Ambrose parish. For many years, he organized and coordinated men’s retreats for St. Ambrose. He was the Troop Committee Chairman for BSA Troop 1942 in Annandale in its early years and later served as the advisor for Explorer Post 1942 in Annandale. One of his proudest accomplishments as a father was that both of his sons attained the rank of Eagle. He also served as the Treasurer of the WT Woodson HS SPTA. Chuck enjoyed word puzzles and always had a good story to tell. He took a keen interest in the lives of his grandchildren and always encouraged them to pursue their goals and dreams. Chuck will be remembered by his family and friends as a man of great generosity, strong family values, and a wonderful sense of humor.