Charles Milton Nohavec passed away on June 10, 2021, at the age of 97. Charles was born in 1924 in St. Louis, MO where he later met and married the love of his life, Camilla Janice Nohavec. Charles and Camilla were happily married for 73 years until Camilla’s passing in February of 2019.
Charles served as a combat engineer in the US Army 78th Infantry Division during World War II. His unit was actively engaged in two major battles of the war: The Battle of the Bulge and the battle at Remagen Bridge where U.S. troops crossed the Rhine River into Germany for the first time while still under siege. In 2018, the Honor Flight program sponsored Charles and his son Scott to travel to the WWII Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC where Charles was recognized and honored for his service.
Following his military service, Charles earned an Engineering degree from MIT. He pursued a career in this same field, retiring in 1989 as the head engineer at Rainier Brewing in Seattle.
Throughout his life, Charles was dedicated to youth sports and scouting. He was the co-founder of Issaquah Little League, where he coached for several years. He also served on the Issaquah Parks Board where he was instrumental in facilitating the acquisition and development of what is now known as Tibbett’s Field. He was named Issaquah Citizen of the Year in 1982.
Charles was an avid outdoorsman and adventurer. After discovering the beauty of the Northwest, he moved the family to Washington state in 1968. He especially enjoyed mountaineering and skiing, and served as a ski instructor at Alpental for several years. He remained physically beyond his 90th birthday and spent many hours working out, riding his bike on the local trails and playing tennis. He called Maple Valley home for the last 23 years of his life.
Charles is survived by his children, Curt and his wife Carol, Linda and her husband Dan Belliveau, Scott and his wife Tamra, and Steven, along with his grandchildren Clint and his wife Erika and Delaney and her fiancé Keegan Riley, and his great-grandchildren Brooks and Rhett.
Charles will be interned at the Tahoma National Cemetery next to his loving wife Camilla. A date has not been set for the service at this time.
