IN LOVING MEMORY OF CHARLES (CHUCK) BOWE
Eulogy given by Chuck's son-in-law, Rick Kirschner.
_________________________________________

Let me begin by stating the obvious. Charles Bowe was a big man, with a big heart, a big smile, a fun loving man with a hearty laugh, a big stride, a man of big character, not averse to taking on big challenges. He was a private man, a man of few words, and lots of action. If Chuck decided to do something, he just did it, and nothing could stop him.


Chuck was a relentless optimist who had the ability to find the good in people and in events. This ability drew people to him, and inspired their trust. Others can tell you of his many achievements and accomplishments, of the many lives he touched, and how his influence will reach into the future through those many lives. This optimistic tendency gave him patience when faced with challenges and difficulty. It allowed him to pursue his goals regardless of potential obstacles. And just the strength of his presence gave comfort and encouragement to people around him, who could look to him to see that all was well and that all they had to do was carry on and everything would work out.

This was a hardworking man, a farmer and high school principal and active community member, who nevertheless found time for his family. My wife tells me that her family vacationed together, every year. Chuck, along with Hazel, found the time to attend their children's athletic, school and other events and ceremonies. Chuck taught his children to be self-reliant, capable and competent. He and Hazel imbued their children with industriousness and good humor. To this day I continue to marvel at how Larry, Lindea and Marty embody these wonderful qualities.

I'd like to share a personal story with you. I was a single dad raising my daughter on my own when I met and proposed to Lindea. When Lindea told me she wanted me to meet her family, I confess, I had some concern. You see, when i learned that Lindea was the daughter of a high school principle, well, I was, how you say, a difficult teenager when I was young, and I had a hard time imagining a high school principal being very agreeable to the idea of someone like me marrying his daughter. So when Lindea brought me and my daughter to her home to meet her parents, I never imagined how quickly they would make us part of their family. It was immediate. You hear people talking about unconditional love, but it is quite something else to actually experience it. Chuck and Hazel invited us in, and from that day on, we were in. My daughter had new grandparents. We were suddenly and instantly part of this great, loving, laughing, easy going family, and we have cherished it with all our hearts.

It was easy to call Chuck Dad. He was a father to me, in a very real sense. He taught me things. You know the saying about 'teach a person to fish?' He did. He took me fishing, and taught me how to fish. Not just catching em, but cleaning them, too. Chuck showed me how it was done, and side by side, we engaged in this messy business while talking and laughing, and it just seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

And it was easy for my daughter to call Chuck Grandad. He took pride in her achievements, showed a genuine interest in her experiences and relationships, and when he hugged her, when he hugged me, well, you knew you'd been hugged. He was strong. Powerful. Loving. Authentic. I not only married a wonderful girl, but gained a wonderful family, with a wonderful father figure who I loved very much. Chuck celebrated life in the accomplishments of his children and his grandchildren, teachers and students. We all knew he was there for us, that he cared for us, that he believed in us.

I can still see the pride on his face as he led his daughter down the aisle to marry me. Not pride because she was marrying me, but pride at the beautiful and strong woman she had become, pride at the many faces of love beaming at her. And while I can only guess what was going through his mind at the time, I know that he valued community just as he valued family, and at our wedding, it appeared to me that he could see that Lindea had a community of friends who love her, and it gave him great joy and satisfaction to see this.

Chuck loved to laugh, to have fun, and to play. I've played golf with him, I've played horseshoes with him, I've played pictionary with him. And while I'm sure that this one time football star and lifetime athletics fan loved competition, I think even more, Chuck enjoyed the game of it all. He just loved to play, to have fun. And Chuck was very much like a small child in the way he approached a game, you could see Chuck focus on pitching a horseshoe or hitting a golf ball or making his next move. Everything about him would quiet down, settle down, focus in. And then, immediately after, he could launch into a laugh. He was just as much fun to be with before a game as after, regardless of how the game turned out.

Chuck always offered a prayer out loud before family meals in his home. He prayed that the food we were about to eat would make us stronger and more capable of service. These weren't just words, he was expressing a true desire to live a life of service, a desire that drove him in making decisions his entire life. Chuck's prayer was an inclusive one, and it had a way of making room for the new people at the table. Everyone was made to feel welcome. Even the way he passed on was considerate. He didn't just rush off. Instead, he gave all of us, family and friends, the time to come to grips with his passing. I watched a parade of people, who moved by their love and appreciation for him came from far and wide to the Bowe living room to tell him they loved him and say goodbye.

When i think of my father in law, I think of a good man, a decent man, a loving man, a considerate man, a thoughtful man, a humble man, a vigourous man who was roller blading in his mid-70s, and a man of tremendous personal power who could sleep on the ground, lift a heavy load without blinking, and bear unbearable pain without complaining.

Chuck passed on looking out the living room window at the loveliest view imaginable of Mt. Hood, rolling hills and a golf course. The weather, which had been consistently dreary in the weeks leading up to his passing, suddenly showed a little sensitivity and opened up, blue sky and wispy clouds highlighting the white top of the mountain and bringing out the rich green scenery, with Hazel's beautiful flower gardens highlighing the scene.

I will remember the last words I exchanged with Chuck, for the rest of my life. I kissed his forehead, and whispered, Go in peace Chuck. And he turned those big blue eyes towards me, smiled that beautiful smile, and clearly said to me, with a triumphant sound in his voice...

"I'm going to fly away!"

I am certain that he did.