Charles W. (Chuck) Thurston, 90, passed away peacefully on Friday, December 16, 2016. He was predeceased by his parents, Archie and Laura Thurston, his siblings, Frances, Archie, Albert, Mary, Marguerite, Helen, and John (Gig). He is survived by his wife of 59 Years, Geraldine (Foster) Thurston, and his children he adored, Cynthia (Tom) Rogers, Kelly (Mike) Malagari, and Tim (Annie) Thurston; He was a Very Special Grandfather to Megan (Tom) Long, Jackie (Kurt) Johnson, Danielle Malagari, Tara (Jon) Sims, Andrew (Mallory) Mastrogiovanni, and Kara (Taylor) Smith; 5 Great Grandsons who lovingly called him 'POP', Brayden, Mason, Landon, Bryce and Derek; Also Surviving is his sister-in-law Roseanne Underwood and several nieces, nephews, cousins and many special friends, some of them life-long. He was Extremely Proud to be a World War II Veteran with the 11th Airborne Division and wore his hat with abundant pride, always willing to chat with those who took the time to thank him for his service, and ready to pose for a picture with a smile on his face. Chuck was a dedicated IBM Employee for 33 Years, retiring as a member of the IBM Quarter Century Club. After retirement, he was employed for several years by local school districts as a school bus driver, a job he really looked forward to every day. Other than a passion for attending his children and grandchildren's sporting events and marveling in their accomplishments, his one true love was baseball. Growing up on the Southside of Binghamton, he could always be found at the baseball diamond at MacArthur Park, playing with the local neighborhood 'guys'. This continued right on into his later years, coaching little league, organizing impromptu softball games, and playing in a slow pitch senior citizen's softball league until his late 70's, even making it to theSenior Citizen Olympics. He also loved snow skiing, water skiing, boating, swimming, and spent endless hours watching his beloved Yankees and Giants. A funeral Mass will be offered at the Church of Saints John and Andrew, Vestal Ave, Binghamton on Wednesday, December 21, at 10:30 am. A Christian Burial will follow at Vestal Hills Memorial Park, Vestal. The family will receive friends at the James V. Demarco Funeral Home, 737 Chenango Street, Binghamton, on Tuesday from 4 - 7 pm. In Lieu of Flowers, please considermaking a donation to the John W. Thurston Marine Corps League Detachment, c/o Ralph Luciani, PO Box 1784, Binghamton, NY 13902. While Chuck may have rounded the bases for the last time, he played a heck of a game and will always be our MVP; His infectious personality and humor will be forever missed by all who knew him.
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