Birth date: Mar 25, 1942 Death date: Jan 26, 2025
Charles Richard Levin, (82), of Scappoose, OR passed away on January 26, 2025. Charles, fondly known as Chuck, was born to Ed and Selma Levin, in March of 1942, in Valley City, ND. He grew up on the family farm, graduating from Pi Read Obituary
“Chuck”
I must say a few things that have happened since we were best buds.
Your families and mine were the closest we had growing up, about a mile apart. I don’t know how many times we walked to each other’s farm, but I know our mothers thought they would have to adopt us if we didn’t stay home.
We had many great times together hunting year-round, from gophers, rabbits, fox, pheasant, ducks, geese and deer. Walking from ten to twenty miles a day, sometimes playing hooky because we thought hunting was much more important than school.
Chuck had a dog; I believe his name was Oscar. “Breed Unknow” We decided to take Oscar pheasant hunting with us which was about an hour and a half drive. Well Oscar did great, so we had to reward him with a 5lb bag of commercial dog food. We probably shouldn’t have given him the whole bag. On the way home, Oscar was in the back seat (BIG mistake) and pheasants in the trunk. After about 15 minutes of driving, we thought it best ole Oscar could ride in the trunk and birds in the back seat. The air was much more pleasant for us.
A few years later, with Fall work about done and no future plans for Winter, we decided we’d better plan ahead. We decided since our older brothers had all been in the service we should too. We were kind of undecided which branch, so we flipped a coin and Navy won.
On Halloween night, 1961, we were on our way to San Diego, where we were greeted so “warmly” by our new company commander, with whom we spent the next 3 or 4 months with.
After Bootcamp Chuck went to the Great Lakes and I stayed in San Diego. A few months later Chuck arrived back in San Diego and was stationed aboard a ship. A month or 2 later, we both got orders to go to Pre-Commissioning School. Upon completion of school, it was on to Bremerton, WA to put our ship in commission. We arrived in May 1963.
We made many trips back and forth to Seattle on the ferry.
Hitchhiking was another means of getting around. Chuck and I hitched to Portland a couple times to see his sister Marilyn and family. Once a Highway Patrol gave us a ride and said we shouldn’t be hitching. He gave us a ride of about 40 to 50 miles, and said we should really take a bus. But he dropped us at an exit and there were no buses there.
On Nov. 22 we were to leave the West Coast for the East Coast. It happened President Kennedy was assassinated, so we didn’t leave until after his funeral.
After saying good-bye to friends in Seattle we were on our way to the East Coast with stops in San Diego, Panama, Virgin Islands, and on to Norfolk, VA. Arriving shortly before Christmas.
Chuck bought a 1955 Oldsmobile a few months later and rented a garage. The garage came in handy as we had to do major repairs later on.
October 1965 we were to get discharged but were extended until March 1966. Together we said farewell to Norfolk and headed home to North Dakota. I stayed in North Dakota and Chuck went West to seek fortune, and found it in the form of Evelyn, his wife.
We stayed in touch and visited each other, but not nearly enough. We both took up golf with our wives. I guess Chuck must have been the better golfer, he called and told me he finally got a Hole-In-One, I think he just wanted to rub it in. HA-HA
Chuck I can’t think of another man who I would want as a friend more than you. I love you and miss you, but know someday we’ll meet again!
Your friend- Norman
Oh,where to start? I met "Chuck" several years ago when we were neighbors on Scappoose Vernonia road. our kids were about the same age and played together. Chuck and I found out we both liked hunting and that started our long term episodes of adventure. He eventually told me of a job opening at Consolidated Metco where he worked for most of his working days. I applied for and got the job which allowed us work together for a few years before I had to move on.
We started hunting deer together in the 70's in the areas near Scappoose.
In no time we were also hunting elk locally. Eventually we progressed to more area. Since then we expanded to Eastern Oregon elk hunting and more partners. Chuck bought an old jeep that we used for many years: he loved that jeep, especially when my son (Clyde) rode in the back sitting on a spare tire and Chuck would look for something to run over to make that spare tire launch Clyde in the air to land on that hard tire. Chuck would laugh so hard.
Chuck and I eventually hunted successfully in many areas. Deer near Scappoose, Elk in NW and Eastern Oregon; pigs in northern California; and moose in British Columbia.
He always enjoyed the adventures, even the misadventure that seemed to always plague us I think the most fun he had was flying in an old single engine Beaver airplane we flew in on our two guided remote moose hunts at Nanika lake in British Columbia. He had such a huge grin in that airplane! Both those hunts resulted in harvesting a bull moose. We sure enjoyed that moose!
Over the years we spent a lot of time doing things together from yard work for his sister to minor house repairs for my daughter. we never argued or had bad feelings. I sure do miss his grin !!
