Mr. Charles Robert Briggs

Chuck Briggs peacefully passed away on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 at his home in Tigard, OR. He was born August 5, 1939 in Sheyenne, North Dakota to Rolland Briggs and Opal Harriet Corey, the 8th of 12 children. He grew up on the southern edge of the Fort Totton Sioux Indian Reservation where he attended school through the 4th grade. The family moved to Riverdale, ND where at the end of his sophomore year in high school, he left school to enlist in the US Navy. After his naval service, at age 20 he went back to high school and graduated from Lafayette High School, Red Lake Falls, MN in 1961.

Chuck came to Portland in 1961 to visit his sister & was offered a job with Buck Ambulance and stayed. He met & married Carol Stapleton. They had 2 daughters Jill & Traci. They later divorced.

Chuck worked for Buck Ambulance until 1964, then worked at Good Samaritan Hospital from 1964 to 1968, then left Good Sam to attend Mt. Hood Community College in Respiratory Therapy graduating in 1970 with an AA degree. While going to respiratory therapy school he worked at the University of Oregon Medical School Hospital, where he met his second wife, Mary Laird, who was a Registered Nurse. They married September 12, 1970 in Portland, OR. and had 2 sons, Todd & Jeff. They celebrated their 50th anniversary this year.

Chuck found his love of working with the premature babies in the NICU. He was the first respiratory therapist at the Medical School Hospital to go on the newborn transports, and loved the experience flying to all parts of Oregon, Southern Washington, & Western Idaho to stabilize, premature babies and bring them back to the hospital for treatment. After 10 years at the U of O he went to work in the Providence system, and retired from St. Vincent Hospital in 2001.

Chuck sang bass in Portland’s Singing Christmas Tree for 24 years, and enjoyed playing pinochle. In his younger years he loved snow skiing, scuba diving, sky diving, & for 8 years volunteered with the Tualatin Valley Fire Department.

Chuck leaves behind his wife of 50 years, Mary, two daughters Jill Briggs (Nawaf Farhat), Eagle Creek, OR; Traci Briggs, Beaverton, OR.; two sons, Todd Briggs, Aloha, OR; Jeff Briggs (Shalome) Meadow Vista, CA; Six Grandchildren – Derik (Megan) Briggs, Eagle Creek, OR; Chad Farhat, Portland, OR; Max Briggs , Seattle, WA, Smith Briggs, San Diego, CA; Wyatt, & Molly Briggs, Meadow Vista CA; two great-grandchildren – Hudson and Harper Briggs, Eagle Creek, OR. He has (6) surviving siblings: Coral Beaudoin, Portland, OR; Larry Briggs, Chehalis, WA; Arnold Briggs, Garrison, ND; Lorraine Skoglund, Strasburg, ND; Barbara Schmitcke, Fargo, ND; Sherry Briggs, Mandan, ND; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral Services will be held 9 a.m., Saturday, November 14, 2000, but due to the CORONA Virus, attendance is very limited. Burial will be at Ocean View Cemetery, Warrenton, Oregon.