Charles Edward Slyker, age 76, of East Helena, Montana passed away on September 11, 2020 in Sun City, Arizona. He will be deeply missed by his wife of 53 years, Jane and his children Laura (Bart) Bentzin, David (Kate), Christopher (Teresa) and Jonathan; grandchildren Sarah, Dylan, Sierra, Drake and Aspen; siblings Robert Jr. (Peggy), Richard (Sue), Thomas (Cindy), Maryann (Ken) Klingman; brother and sister in-laws Paul, Angela and Timothy Martinek. Charles was predeceased by his brother Joseph Slyker (Holly).
A native of California, Charles was born on August 22, 1944 in San Diego to Robert and Kay Slyker. He received his bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona and his master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M. Charles also earned a degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Charles spent the majority of his career based at The Presidio in San Francisco, CA where he worked for the US Army. During his career with the Army he was able to travel the world as well as spend a number of years living in Heidelberg, Germany where he was Chief of Logistics Assistance Operations Europe.
Charles was a car enthusiast and enjoyed spending time working on his classic Ford Mustang and Ford Model A. He was an active member of numerous car clubs in Oregon, Montana, and Arizona. Being a snowbird, he could be frequently found volunteering at the Automobile Restoration Club in Sun City West, Arizona. He took great pride in his work and craftsmanship. Combining two of his favorite things, Charles loved to take his grandchildren for a ride in his classic cars. He also enjoyed golfing, fishing, boating, and camping with his family. Charles never seemed to miss the opportunity to tell a wonderfully, awful dad-joke. Puns always preferred!
He was an avid member of Rotary International serving in many roles including President of the Townsend Rotary Club, where he devoted his talent to the annual Fall Fest. Charles enjoyed helping others by volunteering with AARP in their Tax-Aide Program. He was a proud participant and supporter of the Relay for Life held by the American Cancer Society and Great Strides for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Charles was also an active member of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Townsend.
Charles Slyker loved, and will always be loved by, his family.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that you send a memorial donation to one of the following organizations; the American Cancer Society P.O. Box 22478 Oklahoma City, OK 73123, The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation 4550 Montgomery Ave. Suite 1100 N. Bethesda, MD 20814, or the Automobile Restoration Center of Sun City West 19803 R. H. Johnson Blvd. Sun City West, AZ 85375. Private family services will take place at a later date. Please visit below to offer the family a condolence or share a memory of Charles.
Service Schedule
Services are pending at this time or no services will be held. If available, please see obituary for more information.
Service Schedule
Services are pending at this time or no services will be held. If available, please see obituary for more information.
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