BOMBER MEMORIAL

FRED CHARLES "CHUCK" SOUTHARD ^III ~ Class of 1972
April 3, 1954 - June 9, 2011



Fred Charles "Chuck" Southard ^III, 57, died June 9, 2011, at Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, OR.

Chuck was born April 3, 1954, in Renton, WA to Betty Jane Allen Southard and Fred C. Southard ^Jr and was the only boy with five sisters. The family moved to Richland in June, 1963. He attended Spalding and Jason Lee Elementary Schools, Carmichael Junior High School and Richland's Columbia High School, graduating in 1972. He went into the U. S. Army in 1973.

He married Valerie Ghirado ('72) in 1975 and was discharged from the military in April, 1977. He and Valerie divorced in 1985. He met Audrey Block in the early 1990's and married her in October, 1996. They divorced in 2005. Chuck had no children from either marriage.

He worked as a contract laborer for the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, sustaining a work injury which made it no longer possible for him to work.

Chuck loved to play baseball, run around with all the kids in his neighborhood at Wright Street, at Frankfort Park. He loved fishing and camping; his favorite place to do both was at the Tucannon campsites and in rivers and lakes. He made many fishing rods and tied flies. He loved dogs and had many different breeds, breeding dogs for several years. His favorite breeds were the rottweilers and toy poodles. He loved music and watching movies sometimes on two televisions for many hours. He loved his family and his many, many friends and would help anyone in need. He loved sports of all kinds – his favorite team being the Seattle Seahawks. He was a collector of anything and everything; always thought anything old was antique. His love was shooting pool, and he was a very good shot. He loved big family get-togethers and dinners. He could tell you stories for hours. He had the kindest eyes and the biggest smile and laugh.

Since his health had declined in the last few years, he was in a care facility so he couldn't do what he loved to do and that was to be with his mother and all of his sisters and family. His mother passed away May 9, 2011, a month before he died, and he was devastated. He was loved by all his sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews and will be missed by all.

There was a graveside inurnment on June 28, 2011, at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, WA where he will be with his beloved parents. "Rest in peace beloved brother, son, uncle, nephew. We love you very much."

Chuck is survived by his sisters: Roxanne ('71) (Don) Jenkins of Milton-Freewater, OR; Teresa ('75) (John) Kobuki of Renton, WA; Carrie ('78) (Kerry) Steichen of Kent, WA; Tammy ('91) (Jon) Holt of Richland; and Cindy ('84) (Skip) Moffitt of Blue Springs, MS; sixteen nieces and nephews and eight great-nieces and nephews: Cindy Goolsby and Dailin; Brian Hankins and Hailey and Emily; Heather Mayfield and Harper and one on the way; Cassandra Hammons and Kiley; Keresa and KC Steichen; Dedra Southard Holt and Chris, Piper and Tyler; Ashlee Stump and Kaileigh and Kendall; John Thomas Holt, Alyssa Phillips, CJ Ford, Hope Ford, Melissa Heimbigner and Elize and Allyson; and Derek Delacruz.

He was preceded in death by his parents; all of his grandparents and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.

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Bomber Memorial put together by Maren Smyth ('63/'64) and edited by Shirley COLLINGS Haskins ('66).