A husband, father, friend, and a leader in the community – he will be missed.

Chuck Bos, 96, died at Island Hospital in Anacortes, May 3, 2012, after a short illness. He was born May 20, 1915, in Oak Harbor to Chris Bos and Francis Kamps Bos. Chuck grew up in Oak Harbor and attended school here playing both basketball and football, graduating in 1933.

Chuck married Lorraine Maginnis in 1944 and together they raised two girls (Chris and Cheri). Lorraine passed away in October 2004 just seven days after their 60th wedding anniversary.

In his junior year of high school, Chuck joined the Oak Harbor Volunteer Fire Department and remained there until he moved to Mount Vernon in 1944. There he organized and donated the land to build the Mclean Road Fire Department. While serving as Fire Chief there he helped organize the Conway Fire Department. In 1950 he returned to Oak Harbor and again joined the Oak Harbor Volunteer Fire Department. He served as Chief from 1959 to 1967 when he moved to Crescent Harbor where he helped start the Crescent Harbor Fire Department.

To say that Chuck was a community leader and organizer is an understatement. Chuck was a member and Past President of the Whidbey Sportsman Club, he started and was the first Commodore of the Oak Harbor Yacht Club, belonged to the Lions Club and the Whidbey Golf and Country Club, and was Chairman of the Island County Planning Commission. Chuck gave stock to the Oak Harbor High School to set up a scholarship fund and made a large donation toward building the new Oak Harbor High School Stadium.

Chuck coached an all-girls basketball team and took them to a championship; had a patent for a fishing lure; co-owned the Bos and Boyer Ford Dealership in town; made a hole-in-one in 1990 at the Whidbey Golf and Country Club; and was the Grand Marshal of the Oak Harbor Fourth of July Parade in 2007.

Chuck always said he lived in the best of times. He loved to go fishing and hunting and talked about the good old days when there were fewer regulations. The family enjoyed doing a lot of things together including hunting, fishing, trailering and going to the cabin Chuck built in Eastern Washington.

Chuck could fix anything. After his daughters left home they would always call him and he would walk them through repairs. When the grand kids would call with questions on how to fix something they would be told “Call Grandpa” and sure enough he always had an answer for them. He was a great role model for all of his family and friends, the prime example of which was how he took care of his wife, Lorraine when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

His daughters, Chris Bos Kohl (Joe) of Seattle, Cheri Bos Barrett (Mike) of Camarillo, Calif.; five grandchildren and their spouses; Tori and husband Jason Souza of Bothell, Laura and husband Scott Greenberg of Seattle, Patrick and wife Kristine Barrett of Colorado Springs, Co., Amy and husband Matt Dey of Simi Valley, Calif., Chris and wife Natalie Barrett of Simi Valley, Calif.; and 10 great grandchildren, Dylan and Paige Greenberg, Isabel, Josef and Luke Souza, Kyla Dillon and Brook Barrett, and Kimberly and Carter Dey; and two nephews, Robert Bos of La Conner and Todd Bos of Mount Vernon survive him.

A memorial service for Chuck will be held at Burley Funeral Chapel Thursday, May 10, at 1 p.m. Friends and family may go online at www.burleyfuneralchapel.com to sign a guest register and leave memories for the family. The family suggests donations be made to the Salk Institute, Alzheimer’s Research, 10010 North Torrey Pines Rd., San Diego, CA 92037 in appreciation for the caring way he took care of his wife through her illness.