Obituary of Charles Robert "Charlie" Tucker, Jr.

Charles Robert "Charlie" Tucker, Jr., 76, died December 8, 2019 at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado due to complications following surgery. He was surrounded by loved ones. Charlie was born in Huntington Park, California on January 25, 1943 to Charles Robert Tucker, Sr. and Nadine Grace Tucker n�e Hatfield. The family moved to Sapulpa, Oklahoma and later to Fort Morgan, Colorado where Charlie graduated from high school. In 1965 he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in Army Military Intelligence. He was stationed in Turkey and Okinawa and was honorably discharged in 1969. Charlie attended the University of Wyoming in Laramie where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Geology in 1974, a degree that he pursued because of his love for math, science, and the outdoors.While studying at the University of Wyoming, Charlie met Sarah "Sally" Mignery. They were married in 1973 in Bryan, Ohio. In 1975 he took a job as a Field Geologist for Phillips Petroleum out of Casper, Wyoming. His twenty-seven year career with Phillips took him from Wyoming to Texas, back to Colorado, and eventually to Oklahoma. Along the way, he and Sally had three children; Scott (1974), Andrew (1977), and Kathryn (1981). At Phillips he evolved from a Field Geologist, to manager, to the developer of geological mapping software. He retired in 2002 and moved to Nathrop, Colorado to be closer to the mountains and his children. In 2017 he and Sally moved to Elbert, Colorado to live near Kathryn and her family.Charlie loved rocks and local geology, which led to dinosaur bone hunts when his kids were young, stopping the car at geological points of interest despite protestations from those in the back seat; rock and gem collecting; and, later in life, jewelry making using gems and minerals from his collection. He was passionate about the outdoors -- camping, backpacking, hunting, fishing, photography, and searching for arrowheads. He coached all three of his kids in soccer. Charlie enjoyed homebrewing, genealogy, and target practice. He was a true master of lame dad/grandpa jokes. More than anything, he loved spending time with his six granddaughters -- taking them fishing, visiting rock shops, and making them custom jewelry. For fifteen years, he was active in the First Presbyterian Church in Salida, Colorado, where he helped run the food pantry.He is survived by his wife of over forty-six years, Sally Tucker of Elbert, Colorado; sons, Scott (Ellen) Tucker of Louisville, Colorado, Andy (Wendy) Tucker of Fort Collins, Colorado; daughter, Kathryn (Rob) Graft of Elbert, Colorado; mother, Nadine Tucker of Carlsbad, California; sister, Gloria Robertson of Encinitas, California; brother, Paul Tucker of Wolfford, Texas; granddaughters, Anna (Scott), Jane (Scott), Lucy (Andy), Clara (Kathryn), Isla (Andy), and Elouise (Kathryn); and many wonderful friends across the country.A Celebration of Charlie's Life is being planned in the Salida area for the summer of 2020.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Charlie's memory may be made to one of the following charities:Salida Winter Shelter at https://www.gofundme.com/f/salida-colorado-overnight-winter-shelteror Salida FPC Food Pantry: Make checks out to "Salida 1st Presbyterian Church" with notation "FPC Food Pantry." Mailing address: FPC, 7 Poncha Boulevard, Salida, Colorado 81201