Charles Merrill

JUNE23, 1921 to March 11, 2015

Charles was born in Chelsea,Mass_to Everett Warren Merrill and Lena Hastings

Merrill. He was the youngest of three children, older sisters Winnie and Marian.

Charles spoke often of his happy childhood, summers in New Hampshire working

on a farm. He talked about seeing the New York skyline out of his bedroom

window in New Jersey, and had a favorite story about playing stickball in a vacant

lot when he witnessed the explosion of the Hindenburg. While attending high

school, Chuck was voted best dancer. Who knew? He was quite the dancer.

Chuck went to work for Sterritt Tool, in Athol, Mass. he was known as a

prankster and liked to tease one of his co workers in particular. The man was a

hard working guy with a huge family and Chuck just loved to cross him. Chuck

met a beautiful little coed who worked there as well and fell head of heels in love.

He finally got the nerve to ask her out and went to pick her up at her family home.

Little did he know that the coworker he so loved to tease was his date's dad ...

needless to say that did not go over too well. Love persevered and Pauline and

Chuck were married a couple years later. Chuck went into the service and trained

pilots on simulators in the corn fields of Kansas for the Army Air Corp during

World War II. He also served in the South Pacific at the end of the war. After the

war he did several things including running a hamburger shop, building marquees

for theaters, and teaching himself drafting. He eventually went to work for the

government as an engineer and went on to earn both a bachelor's degree from

Cal Poly and masters degree from USCover the years. After retiring, Charles went

on to build a very successful government contracting business. He truly was a self

made man== intelligent, kind, and fiercely loyal to his beautiful wife and two sons.

He loved his grandchildren and great grandchildren as well.

Charles leaves behind his eldest son, Terry, daughter in law, Patty and

grandchildren, Aaron, Jesse, Daria, Meganne and Everett and his younger son,

Lynn and grandson Paul.

Fun facts about Chuck: He loved to dance. He loved to play the harmonica and

played his harmonica up until just a few months before he passed. He was very

clever and liked to invent things. He built an absolutely beautiful home at the top

of Euclid in Upland all on his own, with the reluctant help of his son and a couple

of occasional friends. He and Polly traveled extensively and had an antique store

in Upland. He had many accomplishments but the thing he was most proud of

was his beautiful wife and 2 loving sons.