Charles Edward Skirko was born on Dec. 1, 1947, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He passed away peacefully April 12, 2015, in the presence of his family and friends. Chuck grew up in Butte, Montana, where he attended Boys Central, played football and performed more than 200 times as the only bass in the family choir. He spent summers bucking bales at his Grandma’s ranch in Idaho. The Skirko family moved to Okanogan in 1964. Chuck graduated from Okanogan High School and immediately went to work at the Biles-Coleman plywood plant. In March of 1968, he was drafted into the Vietnam War. He served two years in the infantry. He was proud of his service and was honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant. After serving, he returned to the Okanogan Valley and resumed work at Biles-Coleman. Chuck had a long-respected career in wood products, retiring from Weyerhaeuser in January 2003. Chuck and Tess spent their retirement years traveling the U.S. visiting friends and family.
↧