Charles Earl Massingill

Charles Earl Massingill passed away on February 11, 2016 after a long battle with heart failure. Earl was born June 16, 1924 to Charles Houston and Nora Benham Massingill in Atchison, Kansas. Earl graduated from Atchison High School and attended College of Emporia, Kansas and graduated from Kansas State Teacher’s College in Emporia, with a degree in Education. He served in the Navy during World War II and while on leave from the Navy he married his High School sweetheart, Estella Marie Moore, with whom he spent 72 wonderful years and had two sons, David Earl and Keith Linn. He taught school for three years at Valley Falls High School in Kansas. He then gave up teaching for a career in the Insurance Industry. He held positions with General Motors, Ford Motors, and finally Farmers Insurance Group, who transferred him to Oregon in 1970 as APD Manager at the regional office in Tigard. Earl was active in scouting with his boys as well as the church, and served as Deacon in the Presbyterian Church. He loved the outdoors and the family spent many hours hiking the Rockies, where they had a cabin. After moving to Oregon he became an avid gardener, and was noted for his prize dahlias. After retirement they moved to the Oregon Coast, where he became an active Lions Club Member. He loved traveling and they did a record number of Elder hostels. It was during one of those trips they discovered Wickenburg, AZ, and bought a place in a Senior Mobile Home Park, where they spent the winter months for a number of years. While in Wickenburg he learned to do lapidary work, and woodcarving. Ill health forced them to give up traveling and they returned to the Willamette Valley and their present home in West Salem, Oregon. Son, David, preceded Earl in death. Surviving are his wife Estella, son Keith, Keith’s wife Linda, her daughter Brandi (Stewart) and her two daughters Ruby and Mia of Portland; David’s daughter Christina and her son Alexander of Houston, TX. The family wishes to acknowledge and thank Providence Home Health, the Salem Hospital, and Willamette Valley Hospice for the compassionate care of both Earl and his family. There was a Private Prayer Ceremony at Finley Sunset Hills in Portland, Oregon.