Obituary: Boyer, Charles Dexter “Charlie”
Age 95
(Age 95)
December 1, 1920 - April 15, 2016
Charlie passed away on April 15, 2016, at the age of 95.
He was born in Oak Harbor, WA on Whidbey Island, where he graduated from high school in 1939.
After graduating, he went into the CCC on nearby Orcas Island, largest of the San Juan Islands (but considerably smaller than Whidbey).
In December 1940, Charlie enlisted in the Navy and was shipped down to San Diego where he attended basic training and aviation mechanic school.
In June he shipped out to Hawaii, were he was assigned to Kaneohe, which was commissioned as a Naval Air Station in February of 1941.
By the time Charlie arrived in late July of that year, there were about 900 sailors and Marines on the base which is on the opposite side of the island of Oahu from Pearl Harbor.
On December 7th, 1941, the Kaneohe Naval Air Station was attacked, damaging or destroying all of the aircraft, before the Japanese crossed the island and attacked Pearl Harbor.
By the time the war ended, Charlie had been assigned to Naval Air Stations at Midway, Honolulu, Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay, and Sand Point on the shores of Lake Washington.
He finished his 20 year Navy career as a Chief Petty Officer.
He couldn’t be far away from the Navy, though, so he had an additional 22 year career working civil service for the Navy in Bangor and Keyport, WA, and Adak, AK.
He retired in 1982.
He volunteered at the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Bremerton, WA, for years.
He is a Fourth Degree Knight in the Knights of Columbus.
While stationed at Sand Point, he would go home on weekends to visit family and friends.
One of his friends, Irene Britton, agreed to marry him on December 8th, 1945.
They had two sons and were married for over 70 years when he passed away.
In 1993, Charlie and Irene moved to Augusta, GA, to be close to their new granddaughter.
They moved to Spokane, WA, where Irene was born, in 1998, after his son and his son’s family moved to San Rafael, CA, to care for his wife’s elderly mother.
Charlie is survived by his wife, Irene, and one son, Steve Boyer of San Rafael, CA, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
He will be missed by all.
A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, April 23rd at 2pm at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 304 S. Adams Rd., Spokane Valley.