Charles V. Choate

Chuck passed peacefully in his sleep with his son and family at his bedside. Chuck lived a long and beautiful life. He was a cornerstone to which many came to and found wisdom in their times of need. He is survived by his son C. Kevin Choate and his wife Zoie, his brother Clifford Choate, and his Grandchildren: Paul and wife Cassie, Robert, and Charleigh. His Great Grandchildren Josie Fay, and Audrey Rose were the sparkle of his eye. He was preceded in death by his parents Vergil & Evelyn (Kale) Choate, sister Sharon Marie (Choate) Wilson, his grandson Zackery Bratton, and his beloved wife of 54 years Karen Sue (Leavitt) Choate.

Chuck was born in Oceanside, CA and migrated with his Great Grandparents Harry and Marie Kale, parents Vergil, and Evelyn (Kale) Choate and the extended Kale family to Stayton, Oregon in 1946. He graduated from Cascade High School, class of 1957, and joined the US Air Force.

In 1962 while stationed at Nellis AFB, in Las Vegas, NV, he met and married Sue Leavitt. Together they built a life in the Willamette and Tualatin valleys. Chuck started his career as an Oregon State prison guard in 1964 working his way up through Parole and Probation and ultimately becoming the Superintendent of both the Mill Creek Corrections Facility and the South Fork Correctional Forestry Camp. Chuck was instrumental in the re-design of the Oregon State Corrections uniforms, designing the currently used Correctional patch insignia. He modernized both the Mill Creek Farm Annex and South Fork Camp facilities. Chuck retired in 1992 finishing a 28-year career. In Chuck’s post-retirement years, he instructed at the Oregon State Police Academy and was instrumental in the creation and instruction of the Correctional Officers courses at the Pioneer Pacific College in Wilsonville, OR. He deeply loved hunting an became the president of the Willamette Valley Mushroom Society. When his wife Sue passed in 2016, Chuck stayed in their family home in Keizer, Oregon until 2020 when he moved to Bonney Lake, WA to be near his son Kevin and then moving with Kevin’s family to Keller, Texas in 2022.

We welcome anyone who knew Chuck to join us at his memorial and Celebration of Life services which will be held at: Weddle Funeral Services 1777 N 3rd Ave, Stayton, OR 97383.