Charles Mclaughlin

Charles F. McLaughlin, Sr.

April 5, 1933 - October 2, 2021

Charles “Chuck” McLaughlin, age 88, of Orion Twp., MI, passed away peacefully with family by his side on Saturday, October 2, 2021. Devoted husband to Bonnie, his wife of 56 years, beloved brother to eight siblings, and loving father to eight children: Charles (Sherryl) McLaughlin, Kelly (Michael) Hudson, Shannon Hall, Tom (Shannon) McLaughlin, Bonnie (Todd) Moriarty, James McLaughlin, Molly (Ryan) Curtis, and Mary (Nicholas) McLaughlin.

Chuck passed on his penchant for procreation as a beloved grandfather to 27 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Born in Elyria, OH to the late Ann and James McLaughlin, Chuck is preceded in death by brothers Jerry, James, Denny, and Sister Ann; survived by sisters Stella (Ted) Joyce, Agnes (Andy) Blackley, and Mary (Pete) Kenny, and brother William McLaughlin. He was an uncle to (you guessed it) several nieces and nephews.

At just 16 years old, Chuck voluntarily enlisted with the Army in 1949 and served in the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne as a paratrooper and chief airplane mechanic. He returned home from the Korean War to discover his family moved out of his childhood home without his knowledge. He harbored only a little resentment. After honorable discharge, Chuck conveyed his skills into medical transport, safely flying organs for transplant between hospitals in the northeastern U.S.

He was a voracious reader, storyteller, and weightlifter; he loved golf and an excellent martini. Chuck owned several classic cars throughout his life and no less than one thousand different types of radios. He was also a member of the Quiet Birdmen, a secret pilot society most of his family could not explain, but wholly tracked with his love for the esoteric.

He enjoyed and abhorred several careers throughout his life and always became an expert in his studies, especially natural healing and energy work, mechanics, and any airborne machines. Chuck loved to take his family to peruse local airshows on only the most scorching-hot summer days.

Chuck will be deeply missed by his family and friends - especially his sense of humor and quick wit, endless stories, his many (sometimes obscure) book recommendations, watching storms with him on the porch, and his frequent reminders of how much weight he could bench. He had always inspired his loved ones to remain curious in an endless pursuit of knowledge.

Family will be available to receive condolences and airing of grievances on Monday, October 25 from 4pm-7pm at Sparks-Griffin Funeral Home, Lake Orion.

Chuck will be honored with a private military burial on Tuesday, October 26 at 9:30am at Great Lakes National Cemetery, Holly, MI.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Tunnel to Towers Foundation, a non-profit that provides mortgage-free homes to veterans, families of fallen first responders, and Gold Star families: Tunnel to Towers Foundation