Charles Edward Kimmel Jr.

He was born July 26, 1950 to Charles (Ed) Kimmel Sr. and Maxine (Tommie) Kimmel in Klamath Falls, OR, while his dad was a student at OTI. They moved back to Eagle Point when he was a year old.

He and Ron Peck started working construction with their dads (who were business partners) during the summer in their early teens. In high school, he also had part-time jobs at a gas station, smudging in the orchard near his home, hauling hay, and vaccinating and artificially inseminating turkeys for John Ousterhout.

During his later high school years, he worked at Cascade Wood Products, and immediately after graduation, he tried his hand at logging. He was part of the crew that logged the area where Lost Creek Lake is now, while the dam was being built. After a later second stint spent logging for his brother-in-law, Donnie Hamann, Chuck said he was tired of almost getting killed every day and left logging behind for good.

As an adult, he worked swing shift at White City Plywood, and mornings feeding cows and doing various ranch tasks for his father-in-law, Dan Hamann, then transitioned to building full-time with his dad. But when the opportunity to work for Elvin Hawkins’ new business, Hawkins Gunite Construction, arose in 1976, he decided to go for it.

He built pools, gunited railroad tunnels on the coast, Pacific Power canals at Toketee Falls, and two homes during the off-seasons with Hawkins Gunite for about 11 years. Then he joined Fields Construction building pools for about 11 more years before starting his own company in 1996.

In 1993 and 1996, he took a month and went to Japan to build a pre-fabbed coffee shop and a home for Don Walker Construction.

As the owner of Chuck Kimmel Construction Inc., he focused on gunite pools, but also built a few custom homes and even a commercial building. He closed the business in 2022.

Chuck loved his clients. He loved people. He never met a stranger. He always said his goal was to leave a job knowing his clients had become friends for life.

Chuck married Lorraine Hamann on June 13, 1970. During their first few years of marriage, Chuck was adamant that he didn’t want children, but the moment he set eyes on his firstborn, his life changed. His children, Jamie Kimmel (Celena) and Marissa Grasso (Daniel), grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were the light of his life. He loved them so much.

The grandchildren loved listening to his stories about growing up, and all the funny things he did during his too-short life.

Chuck also loved Jesus Christ with all his heart. God temporarily placed the new pastoral family of Brownsboro Community Church in a neighbor’s home very soon after Chuck and Lorraine moved into their tiny cabin at the end of their road. Each day on his way home, Chuck would pick up their newspaper at the county road about a mile away and drop it off at their house. Don Swickard faithfully witnessed to him, and Chuck gave his heart to the Lord just before Jamie was born in December 1976.

The family spent 20+ wonderful years at Brownsboro Church and have been blessed to be part of Applegate Christian Fellowship for the past 27 years. After he retired, Chuck joined the Gideons and loved to do Bible handout events.

He was always ready to lend his skills or equipment to help a neighbor, friend, family member, or his church with any project that needed doing.

Chuck is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren. Also, his sister Ronelle Pratt, brother Kevin Kimmel (Marty), and many dear nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his older sister Celeste Hutchison, and older brother Clyde (Pepper) Huffman.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Applegate Christian Fellowship, 7590 Hwy 238, Jacksonville (Ruch), OR, on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at 11:00 am.