Charles Stanley Mincks

On September 27, 2026, at 10:10 pm, Captain Charles Stanley Mincks USCG (Ret.) peacefully went to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ at the age of 89. He and his wife, Doris (Waldrop) Mincks, have been residents at the Army Residence Community (ARC) in San Antonio, Texas, since April of 2019.

Stan was born on April 30, 1937, in Phoenix, Arizona, where he enjoyed running barefoot in the desert, playing in the canals, and picking olives and pecans in his Auntie Ruth’s orchard. He loved hunting and fishing with his father, Charles Pringle Mincks, and had many stories to tell of rattlesnakes, black widow spiders, and scorpions.

His mother, Sadie Lucille Alexander, passed away when Stan was 10 and his younger sister, Louise, was 7, so he spent many days with his Auntie Ruth, who was a very godly woman. His father remarried when he was 13, and Stan credits his stepmother with encouraging him to apply to the Coast Guard Academy, where he distinguished himself as a marksman and a scholar. It was there that he also came to full assurance of faith and grew both spiritually and professionally. After graduation, he spent a year teaching celestial navigation and coaching the rifle and pistol team at USCGA, before going on to his first post at LORAN Station Catanzarito, Italy.

In 1966, he married Ruth Anne Haug, whom he had known (as his sister’s friend!) since childhood. Together they had four daughters and enjoyed 40 happy years of marriage. As a family they lived in South Portland, Maine (three times); Washington, DC; Governor’s Island, New York; San Francisco; Miami, and for just 6 months at the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia. One highlight was in 1976, while he was serving as captain of the Tamaroa, when he organized the parade of ships through New York Harbor in celebration of the Bicentennial. After 24 years in the Coast Guard, he retired and taught Bible, math, and science classes at Greater Portland Christian School, in Portland, Maine, where his four daughters had attended. After Stan and Ruth Anne moved to Pennsylvania, they enjoyed volunteering at Officer’s Christian Fellowship (OCF)’s conference center in Manns Choice, PA, White Sulphur Springs. When Ruth Anne became ill with Alzheimer’s and cancer, he devoted himself primarily to her care until she passed away in 2006, a model of faithful, attentive love. After Ruth Anne passed away, he discovered joy, love, laughter and companionship once again with Doris Waldrop, with whom he enjoyed nearly 20 more years of marriage and ministry, serving side by side through ACCTS and Wives of Warriors (WOW), and continuing their commitment to and love for Officer’s Christian Fellowship.

Stan was a beloved teacher, a kind father (to all his daughter’s friends), and a wise leader of men. He appreciated and fostered the gifts, courage, and unique talents of those he was responsible to lead and was careful to give credit where credit was due, especially giving honor to the Lord Jesus for every success and blessing. Stan is remembered by many as a gentle, kind, humble, and loving man. Those closest to him know his loyalty, his sense of humor, his perseverance, and his patience. He was willing to lead, and glad to serve. He enjoyed quiet mornings with a cup of coffee and the paper; knowing the names of plants and birds, and being able to imitate the sounds each bird made; he loved the mystery and silence of the forest; he enjoyed fishing early in the morning, and he loved taking his grandsons camping. Most of all, he loved the Lord, and he loved his family.

Stan is predeceased by his first wife, Ruth Anne; a son, Charles Daniel Mincks; a grandson, John Winfield Waldrop; a great-granddaughter, Hope Kolster, and a great-grandson, Sam Emmanuel Yurkovich. He is survived by one sister, Louise Rosell Bucher; four daughters (Esther, married to John Waldrop; Elizabeth, married to Peter Barry; Rebecca, married to Michael Barry; and Rachel, married to Hakan Azmak). He is also survived by his beloved wife, Doris Waldrop Mincks, and by her son and daughter-in-law, Buck and Linda Waldrop, who live nearby and have been their closest, most consistent caregivers over these last seven years. Stan is also survived by 23 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. The entire family is very grateful for the thoughtfulness and care of the staff and nurses at the ARC, and we know Stan would wish us to extend warm thanks to each one of them by name.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made by donation to White Sulphur Springs or The Association for Christian Conferences, Teaching and Service.

Memorial service dates and locations will be posted at a later date.