Charles ''Chuck'' W. McCanna
March 15, 1932 - July 1, 2006
Obituary
Charles “Chuck” W. McCanna, age 74 passed away July 1st, 2006 in Davenport, WA doing what he absolutely loved to do, and that was to fly. Chuck is survived by his loving wife of 32 years, Jean; seven daughters, Toni Stebar Bernie, Maddie Love Neal, Theresa, Joyce, Beth, Vickie and Shannon McCanna; two sons, Martin Schiaffino Robin and Bill Norman; numerous grand children including Antonio, Kristopher, Nicole, Nicholas, Annalysse, Chloe and Collin; several great grandchildren including Ellis and Austin; sister, Bonnie Victor; numerous nieces and nephews. To my “honey” and our Dad, we will always love you, you are greatly missed and never forgotten. With love, all of us. A celebration of Chuck’s life will be held on Sunday, July 9th, 2006 at 11:00 AM at BONNEY-WATSON Federal Way, 1535 SW Dash Pointe Road, Federal Way, WA 253 839-7317. The family prefers memorial contributions be made to the American Diabetes Association.
To Jean and Family,
May God be with you during this difficult time. You are all in our thoughts and prayers. Chuck was a great neighbor who was always willing to lend a helping hand. He will be missed.
God Bless,
Larry, Pam and Mariah Jean Brooks
My Fathers older Brother, Uncle Chuck. My first time out flying with him he handed me the controls. It would take along time to wipe the smile off my face. Not much has come close since. I knew Uncle Chuck as a nothing but a good man. My memory of him will last my lifetime.
Well hello there stranger. As I am sure the news has traveled to you that we are a little lonely down here. We sure do miss your company. I know that I do as do others that miss you. I regret not calling you sooner and having to end up writing this letter instead to say good bye. I love you G-Pa. I miss you also. I know that you loved flying and flying loved you. I thank you so very much for sharing that love with me and teaching me how to fly. I thank you for taking the time to be a G-Pa to me. I wish that we could have known each other sooner than we did but hey I am just so very glad that I got to meet you at all. It took some one great like you to get me over the fear of heights and of flying. I always loved airplanes and the thought of them. I just could never get over the fear. I thank you and love you for helping me to get over that. I hope that some day I can finish my pilot’s license and take some one else up in a plane and help them as you helped me. It saddens me to know that you died, it joys me thought that you went out doing what you love to do. I think that only thing that could have made it better was to have a fine looking woman sitting on your lap hugging and kissing you also. . Well I hope that you have a great wet nurse up there with you and that she is treating you well. I love you G-Pa. I am sorry that you never got to meet Ellis. I hope that were ever you are you are seeing us now and love what you see. I am sorry that I never got the chance to enjoy a beer with you. All I can think about right now is the time that you and I went up in the T-Craft and I made you put your hands back on the yolk. That was funny. I was like what the hell are you doing put your hands back on there. But like you taught me if the plane is properly trimmed out it will fly it self better than you can fly it. I hope that some day I can be as great a pilot as you. I know that you have the world’s best co-pilot right now and that is God. As if you did not know that though. Do you remember that time you and I went flying in the Champ and it was so windy that you were a little bit tempted to stay on the ground but I insisted in going up against your better judgment? Then you said to me latter that on landing you almost took the plane away from me but you did not because you had faith in me. I thank you so much for having the faith in me that you have had in these years past. That blind faith in me means a lot to me. Thank you. I think that later you also told me that I flew like some one you knew. If only then I knew who you were talking about was to be the guy that is my father. This was a secret to you but not yours to tell. I thank you for holding that secret until it was time for me to know about it. Thank you G-Pa for taking my mom, uncle and aunt in when you did not have to, even though she was not your true daughter. You have taken us all in without hesitation as your own. You are a great man for doing so. I hope that my patients and steadfastness is as strong as yours. If you ever need some one again to take the belly skins off of an airplane and inspect it, just let me know and I will be there. I am sure that when my day comes to depart this earth, that is where I will be. With you at the airport taking the skins off the plane, washing a plane and taking it up to dry the only way that was meant to be. Fly it. Thank you for introducing me to those diverse friends of yours. I will never forget what Dale told me about the smoke in a radio. Don’t let it out. If it comes out then the radio will not work any more. I will miss the never ending lessons in life that you would tell through stories of friends that you have had. I hope that where you are you get to have that Wendy’s triple stack cheese burger, chili, and fries with a frosty to coat it down. I will miss the getting up from the chair and the screw handle that you would fake to straighten your self out. Thank you G-Pa for helping me to grow up and become who I am today. I can not remember one day that I spent with you that was not fun in some way shape or form. Every minute around you was a lesson in some way that I could use in life. I am missing you G-Pa, I love you G-Pa.
Where ever you go and what ever you do I will always think that you stink pretty.
Kris.
Of all the things that can be said of a Mans time on Earth this I hold close. Chuck was Good and Decent man.There are many that knew Chuck longer and better than I.The stories are theirs to tell..There are many that miss Chuck now, but he has flown to the Forever Airfield I know he is welcome there.Vaya Con Dios, on the wings of God…I will see you on the other side, Neal
One my most favorite Uncles. We all will miss you so very much. We all knew you as a loving, gentle, and caring man-husband-father-uncle-and grandpa. A man of conviction-purpose-resolve and one who was committed to excellance. Those atributes are in short supply these days in our world but not in the one you are in now. You set a wonderful example for me as a father and person to follow and for that I am forever grateful. God needed a great wingman so he picked you. We will always love you. Rick-Marilyn-Melissa-Christina and Ricky Jr.
HEY LITTLE BROTHER I WILL MISS YOU. LOVE YA ALWAYS.
YOUR SIS, BONNIE
Uncle Chuck, you know you were always my favorite Uncle when I was growing up and I do remember you talking airplanes a lot. I was fortunate to have seen you a couple times over the past couple years, I wish it could have been more. I will miss you. Now you are in control of that big airplane in the sky.
I worked with Chuck for too many years to count and considered him a good friend. We had a lot in common, but flying was not one of them. I would listen to his many stories which sometimes seemed pretty far fetched. The one about the skeleton in the wrecked plane, one of my favoriteswhere a strong wind picked up the plane and sent it skyward. However, I always listened as he told and retold his stories. We had lunch together many times at his favorite Kentucky Fried Chicken Resturant. This wasn’t the Inspectors favorite place and sometimes we could talk him into somewhere different. We both had El Caminos and believed it was the untimate car. It was sad when his was stolen, but a happy day when it was found and returned.
I will miss all of this with Chuck and always have good thoughts of him. He is now the trail blazer for the rest of us.
My fondest memory of Chuck is
me being his girlfriend. His
first love was Jean, second his plane and as a joke I was the girlfriend. We have shared so much is our 28 year friendship. Jean and I will be forever out there flying our brooms. WWOFN.
my g-pa was the greatest always had a smile for you no matter what.. i miss you so much g-pa. i love you…
Dear Jean & Chuck, thank you for the memories. Chuck, thanks for letting us see the plane and introducing us to the Dick Scobee airport. Jean, thank you for being a wonderful neighbor and friend, you are both loved very much. Jose, Lia, Joseph, Marcos, Elliott, Amy, Andrew & Benny
My condolences to Chucks Family and many Friends.
You have always been and will be “My Honey.” I love you and thank you for choosing me to be your wife. You took me and my three children and raised, loved, taught them as your own. MY HEART WILL NEVER BE THE SAME NOR WILL MY LIFE!! I LOVE AND MISS YOU SO!!!
Dad:
I am going to miss you, you will always be in my heart, and never forgotten, I will cherish all that you have taught me , and the times we spent in the air, you told me the world was mine , and treat it like I would like to be treated, in your words RESPECT those and you will to have the Respect. I am going to miss the tickles on my side , your smile , hugs, I will miss the sweet Dad kisses from you , and your laughter , but most of all, I will miss you!!!!!!!! I know that you will be our Angel , and will help guide us thru the rest of our life, cuz Dad you helped us become what we are today , even though we were rotten kids speaking for myself, but you truley loved us unconditional, I thank you for being my Dad, and mentor.
I will see you in my dreams and keep you close to my heart , Love your Daughter .
Cha – Cha
Dear Daddie`,
I love you and oh my GOD how I miss you! I want for you and all the world to know just how very special you are to me. You married a woman with three childred that were not your own and made them yours. For that I am forever grateful. You taught me to be an honest, forthright person. You taught me how to fly the plane, even if it was sideways and you didn’t panic when I turned off the fuel in mid-air, you just in a very soft voice asked me to click the switch one more turn to the left and said that this would be a good time to test the glide path of the Royal T. You giggled and I was scared… – well you know. You gave me unconditional love and showed me that no matter what I did you would still love me and guide me through all of my endovours, ups, downs and aboutfaces. You helped me learn about life and the people in it. You taught me how to trust again and to be trusted. You showed me that I am a strong person and that I could overcome many, many difficulties no matter how great. You taught me that life was not fair and how to cope with that. Thank you for trying my cookies that would not absorb water, they almost broke your teeth and not laughing, just telling me that I needed to try again. But most of all Daddie`, thank you for accepting me as me and loving me for who I am. I am proud to be your daughter and to call you my Dad.
I love you!
Toni
Chuck was a member of my commuting family. We rode the bus together to and from downtown Seattle everday up until his retirement last year. He always sat next to me and we shared many conversations. Of course, most of the conversations were centered around flying and airplanes. He was so excited about retiring and being able to spend more time at the airport with his plane. Chuck also parked his beloved El Camino next to my truck. Each night when we arrived back at the Star Lake Park’n Ride he would make sure that I was safely in my truck and that it started. One day I left the lights on my truck and ended up with a dead battery. Neither Chuck or I had jumper cables. Chuck was kind enough to give me a ride to my house to pick up some jumper cables, drive me back to the park ‘n ride and jump start my car for me. He was a sweet, kind and caring man. He will be missed by many, including me and the rest of his commuting family. He’s on an endless flight soaring high in heaven. I will miss you my friend.
Dad we miss you and love you very much. We will take care of Mom so don’t worry just keep Flying.
Jean and Family, Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of you. Your loss is shared by each and every member of our cul-de-sac family. I know that I’ll miss Chuck’s little wave as he drove past, his fun flirting, and just knowing that he was there.
Barb
Lisa and Toby
It is with great sadness that I say goodbye so late after the loss. There will always be a special place in my heart for Chuck. God Bless the family & all that cared for him.