Charles Robert Sacrison, Jr

Charles Robert Sacrison, Jr. (Chuck) was born in Rapid City, South Dakota, the oldest child of C. Robert Sacrison and Loydene Emma (McCormick) Sacrison. Following the birth of his sister, Vicki, two years later, the family moved to the mining town of Kimberly, Nevada where his father was a mining engineer for Consolidated Copper. There he attended his first two years of school before the family, now including brother Ralph, moved to Las Vegas, Nevada for one year. 

Third through fifth grades, and introduction to Little League Baseball were in Montpelier, ID and in 1962 the big adventure began when the family moved to Ciudad Piar, Estado Bolivar, Venezuela, where his father was the senior engineer at US Steel's Cerro Bolivar iron mine. There he learned Spanish, horsemanship and fell in love with the Venezuelan countryside and people. In December 1965 the family moved to Ossining, New York where Chuck attended Ossining High School, playing football, lacrosse, Legion baseball and took up skiing.

On July 1st, 1969 he entered the United States Military Academy as a member of the class of 1973. While at the academy he continued to play lacrosse and in the winters served as a ski patrolman, and managed to meet his future wife, Thomasina Cavuoti, while visiting Marymount College, Tarrytown, NY one weekend. Graduating as an Infantry 2LT in June 1973 he attended his officer basic course and Ranger School in Fort Benning, GA before departing to his first assignment in Wildflecken am Rhon, with the 2 BN/15th INF, 3rd INF DIV. While there he served variously as a rifle platoon leader, weapons platoon leader, Infantry Company XO and Battalion Scout Platoon Leader. 

On May 3, 1975 he and Tommie were married at St Patrick's Church in her hometown of Glen Cove, NY. After another two years in Germany Chuck and Tommie moved to Ft Bragg, NC where Chuck served as the S-3 Air and then Supply Officer for the 1st PSYOP Bn, 4th Special Forces Group.

In July 1978 Chuck left active duty and went to work as a design engineer for Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, MI. It was there that daughter Katherine was born in 1980. Soon after, the family moved to Port Orchard, WA as Chuck accepted an engineering position with Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, where he continued to work until his retirement as a Design Branch Manager in 2007. 

During those years he worked various shipboard systems, including missile launchers, deck handling gear, AC plants and refrigeration equipment and life cycle management for shipboard piping, Navy wide. Simultaneously, Chuck continued to serve in the US Army reserves, retiring as a LTC in 1996, having served with the 104th TNG Div at Fort Lewis and the 124th ARCOM, Fort Lawton, Seattle.

During his 45 plus years in WA Chuck enjoyed hunting, fishing, skiing, trap shooting and in his early years a smattering of climbing in the Olympics and Mts Rainier and St Helens. His daughter and son, Douglas (1984), took up softball and baseball, respectively, returning Chuck to his first love and he fell into it wholeheartedly, coaching them both in their early years and then becoming an umpire as their skills surpassed his coaching abilities. 

For over 25 years Chuck umpired baseball and softball from Little League, Babe Ruth, Legion Ball through High School and Olympic College ball, serving the Peninsula Umpires Association at various times as Secretary and Vice President of Softball. With Tommie at his side he umpired regional Little League games in WA, CA, MT and Italy, culminating in the Little League Softball World Series in Delaware in 2013. Together they also attended many a Mariner Game, always hoping for a more satisfying end to the season.

Chuck is survived by his beloved wife of 51 years, Thomasina, his daughter Kate (Joe Clem) of Portland, Oregon and son Doug of Bellingham. Additionally he is survived by his brother Ralph of Elko, NV and sister Vicki (Brind) of Midhurst, England as well as nieces Annabel, Claudia and Helena and nephew Robert. He was preceded in death by his mother, Loydene and father Robert.

In Chuck's honor, donations can be made to the American Heart Association, the Audubon Society, RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities), or the charity of one’s choice.