Chuck was born the oldest of two children to William and Donna Recker in Phoenix, Arizona on December 24, 1947. As a teenager, Chuck was an athlete and played football at the collegiate level. And, throughout his career was an avid golfer.
Chuck served in the Army during the Vietnam War, Where he was a Tank Commander for the 1st Cavalry Regiment. He was later working out of the Pentagon before pursuing his college education.
Chuck joined Memorex in 1979 as HR manager for the large disk drive division. Employees described working with him as “never dull”. The combination of his great sense of humor, challenging work he provided, and his great concern for all of his employees brought Chuck much appreciation, respect, and career growth. His passion for supporting people and their dreams allowed him to rise up the ranks to the VP level during his 13 years at Memorex.
In 1979, Chuck met Susan and they married in 1980. In 1982, Chuck and Susan had their first child, Max. 5 years later, they welcomed their second child, Alex. He worked incredibly hard to make sure they were taken care of in every single way he knew how.
Chuck wore many titles: dad, brother, son, friend, father-in-law, veteran, and perhaps his most loved title, Papa.
Chuck was a family man and loved his children and grandchildren more than anything. He had the blessing of living with his youngest son, Alex, Alex’s wife, Hannah, and his grandchildren Luke and Sarah for the final 7 and a half years of his life. Papa, Luke, and Sarah were the light of each others’ lives. Each evening as the children said their goodnights to Papa, Papa made his morning request – what did they want for breakfast. And each morning, he woke up for his grandbabies.
Chuck loved to tell stories of his travels, interesting experiences he had along the way, and people he had clearly made an impact on, which he claimed had instead made the impact on him. A house favorite – his experience drinking champagne on a pyramid in Egypt. Boy, did Chuck live big! But, not long enough for the people who loved him the most.
To say that his family will miss him greatly is an understatement. But, they will proudly carry on his dedication to his family, his thirst for knowledge and the occasional gin martini, his listening ear, and his impactful kindness and generosity.
Chuck was preceded in death by his mother, Donna, his father, William, and many beloved friends and military buddies.
He is survived by his sons, Max and Alex Recker, his daughter-in-laws, Rusty and Hannah Recker, his sister, Darla Scott, the mother of his children, Susan Recker, and his grandchildren – Riggs, Reid, Luke, and Sarah Recker.
A graveside for Donald will be held Friday, December 29, 2023 from 11:15 AM to 11:45 AM at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Pkwy, Dallas, TX 75211.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.jefoust.com for the Recker family.
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