Obituary of Charles Humble

Charles "Chuck" Humble, a devoted husband, father, friend and longtime teacher, coach and community leader, passed away in Beaverton on Oct. 20, 2020. He resided at Raleigh Hills Assisted Living with his wife of 71 years, Mary, who survives him. 

 

Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 26, 1929, Chuck was the youngest of four siblings. His father, Charlie, worked in the roofing manufacturing industry, a profession which took the family to various cities across the United States. The family migrated west, living in Detroit, Michigan, Gary, Indiana, Tacoma, Washington, and Pasadena, California, before arriving in St. Helens, Oregon, in 1946 where Chuck attended St. Helens High School his senior year. He was a star athlete in three sports and graduated in 1947. He was married to Mary Ellen Thurman of St. Helens in 1949 at Christ Episcopal Church in St. Helens. In 1996, he was inducted into the St. Helens High School Sports Hall of Fame. 

 

He attended the University of Oregon where he played on the freshmen baseball team. He transferred to Western Oregon University for his final three years, graduating in 1951. He played basketball and baseball at WOU. During the summers while in college and after he graduated, he played for various semi-pro baseball teams.

 

His first job out of college was as a teacher and coach at Myrtle Crest Junior High School in Myrtle Point, Oregon. During 25 years in Myrtle Point, he and Mary raised four children, Charles, Margie, Halary and Jason. He is survived by Charles, Margie and Jason. Halary passed away in 1990. While living in Myrtle Point, in addition to his teaching position, he also coached football, basketball and baseball at both the junior high and high school levels. 

 

Chuck and Mary had many friends in Myrtle Point and were active members of St. Mark's Episcopal Church. They were among the families who built the church. Chuck served on the vestry while Mary was a member of the altar guild and participated in the church's annual Christmas bazaar fund raiser. 

 

He was active in the community as a member of the Myrtle Point Lions Club, serving as its president, and the Coquille Valley Elks Lodge. He was inducted into the Myrtle Point High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. Among his other contributions to the community, he started and ran a youth summer recreation program that included transporting students to Coquille for swimming lessons, as well as youth sports programs.

 

Chuck loved sports and was an avid fan of the University of Oregon and the Detroit Tigers. He enjoyed gardening and took great pride in the roses and dahlias that he grew in his garden. He won many prizes for his beautiful flowers at the Coos County Fair. He started refereeing high school sports in the 1950s and continued to officiate at the high school and college levels into the 1980s, before retiring due to health issues. 

 

Chuck and Mary moved to Beaverton in 1975. He served as manager of The Oregonian Federal Credit Union with offices in downtown Portland. Its members included employees of The Oregonian and The Oregon Journal newspapers as well as KGW TV and radio stations. They moved to Raleigh Hills Assisted Living in 2018 and lived there until his passing. He was a member of St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in Beaverton. He and Mary were regular attendees for 35 years.

 

In addition to his survivors, Chuck has seven grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. A memorial service is pending. 

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