Charlie was born in Honolulu on Oct 19, 1920 to parents Hung Yuen Chun and Mew Kung Soon. He was the second of 9 children. Esther was the eldest, then Charlie, who was big brother to Samuel, Nicholas, Ellen, Wilfred, Eleanor, Verna, and Clifford. Sister Verna, a resident of Maryland, is now the sole surviving sibling.
Charlie attended McKinley High School and graduated in 1938... He was a Lieutenant in ROTC and the VP of the Daily Pinion (the high school newspaper). With a keen interest in fast cars and motorcycles, Charlie used to terrorize the neighborhood children by racing his motorcycle down Kuakini lane where he lived. He earned spare change by working at his Uncle's gas station with his younger brother, Nick at his side.
He later became a pipefitter at PHNSY until WWII started with the attack on Pearl Harbor. In 1944, he was inducted into the U.S. Army as an infantry man and stationed at Guadalcanal, New Guinea - located in the southern Solomon Islands in the Pacific theater. He spent his spare time giving GIs haircuts and playing Hawaiian music on his ukulele. Charlie was never formally trained in music but was able to play the piano, guitar and ukulele by "ear." He would listen to the melody first then inexplicably duplicate the notes on the musical instrument!
Charlie was discharged from the Army 1947 and returned to work at the shipyard as a pipefitter. In 1949, he married the beautiful Dora Mau, former Mckinley H.S. Songleader. Soon after, their daughter Charla was born.
He continued to work at PH where he up-fitted submarines and battleships with asbestos insulation for many, many years. The daily handling of asbestos resulted in grave results for many of the shipyard workers as they began feel the negative effects of being exposed to this deadly fiber.
In the 1969, chest x-rays showed a spot on Charlie's lung. Surgery of the lung revealed a large scar caused by asbestos but no trace of cancer. In 1974, his wife Dora passed away. Charlie decided to retire from of the pipefitter's shop 56 as a General Foreman with 38 years of service. He was looking forward to living a stress-free life.
...Charlie enjoyed taking Las Vegas junkets and ball room dancing. He was quite the dancer as he was very good at remembering dance steps. Of course his dance card was filled from the 1st dance to the last. All the women enjoyed dancing with the Pake Fred Astaire.
In the 1990's, Charlie met Bong Ae "Aiko" Park on the dance floor. She barely spoke any English but he was able to "woo" her with his manly charm and slick dance steps. On Nov 21, 1997, Charlie married Aiko in Las Vegas... Charlie and Aiko loved to dance and travel together. They went on cruises to Ensenada and the Carribean. They went to Las Vegas 3-4 times a year. You'll see in the photos today that Charlie will go wherever there is fun and plenty of good food!
On July 12, 2012 ,at age 91, Charlie succumbed to the debilitating effects of calcified lungs due to asbestosis, weakening kidneys and a failing heart.
As a husband, father, grandfather and friend no one could be finer or kinder. Charlie was able to bless his family and friends with his love, support, and the appreciation of life for many decades. The world has lost a wonderful, kind man but heaven is gaining the Pake Fred Astaire! We can picture him with his dancing shoes on, his dance card filled from the 1st dance to the last and dancing with the angels.
We love you and we will miss you, Charlie. Rest in Peace.
Charlie attended McKinley High School and graduated in 1938... He was a Lieutenant in ROTC and the VP of the Daily Pinion (the high school newspaper). With a keen interest in fast cars and motorcycles, Charlie used to terrorize the neighborhood children by racing his motorcycle down Kuakini lane where he lived. He earned spare change by working at his Uncle's gas station with his younger brother, Nick at his side.
He later became a pipefitter at PHNSY until WWII started with the attack on Pearl Harbor. In 1944, he was inducted into the U.S. Army as an infantry man and stationed at Guadalcanal, New Guinea - located in the southern Solomon Islands in the Pacific theater. He spent his spare time giving GIs haircuts and playing Hawaiian music on his ukulele. Charlie was never formally trained in music but was able to play the piano, guitar and ukulele by "ear." He would listen to the melody first then inexplicably duplicate the notes on the musical instrument!
Charlie was discharged from the Army 1947 and returned to work at the shipyard as a pipefitter. In 1949, he married the beautiful Dora Mau, former Mckinley H.S. Songleader. Soon after, their daughter Charla was born.
He continued to work at PH where he up-fitted submarines and battleships with asbestos insulation for many, many years. The daily handling of asbestos resulted in grave results for many of the shipyard workers as they began feel the negative effects of being exposed to this deadly fiber.
In the 1969, chest x-rays showed a spot on Charlie's lung. Surgery of the lung revealed a large scar caused by asbestos but no trace of cancer. In 1974, his wife Dora passed away. Charlie decided to retire from of the pipefitter's shop 56 as a General Foreman with 38 years of service. He was looking forward to living a stress-free life.
...Charlie enjoyed taking Las Vegas junkets and ball room dancing. He was quite the dancer as he was very good at remembering dance steps. Of course his dance card was filled from the 1st dance to the last. All the women enjoyed dancing with the Pake Fred Astaire.
In the 1990's, Charlie met Bong Ae "Aiko" Park on the dance floor. She barely spoke any English but he was able to "woo" her with his manly charm and slick dance steps. On Nov 21, 1997, Charlie married Aiko in Las Vegas... Charlie and Aiko loved to dance and travel together. They went on cruises to Ensenada and the Carribean. They went to Las Vegas 3-4 times a year. You'll see in the photos today that Charlie will go wherever there is fun and plenty of good food!
On July 12, 2012 ,at age 91, Charlie succumbed to the debilitating effects of calcified lungs due to asbestosis, weakening kidneys and a failing heart.
As a husband, father, grandfather and friend no one could be finer or kinder. Charlie was able to bless his family and friends with his love, support, and the appreciation of life for many decades. The world has lost a wonderful, kind man but heaven is gaining the Pake Fred Astaire! We can picture him with his dancing shoes on, his dance card filled from the 1st dance to the last and dancing with the angels.
We love you and we will miss you, Charlie. Rest in Peace.
Charlie was born in Honolulu on Oct 19, 1920 to parents Hung Yuen Chun and Mew Kung Soon. He was the second of 9 children. Esther was the eldest, then Charlie, who was big brother to Samuel, Nicholas, Ellen, Wilfred, Eleanor, Verna, and Clifford. Sister Verna, a resident of Maryland, is now the sole surviving sibling.
Charlie attended McKinley High School and graduated in 1938... He was a Lieutenant in ROTC and the VP of the Daily Pinion (the high school newspaper). With a keen interest in fast cars and motorcycles, Charlie used to terrorize the neighborhood children by racing his motorcycle down Kuakini lane where he lived. He earned spare change by working at his Uncle's gas station with his younger brother, Nick at his side.
He later became a pipefitter at PHNSY until WWII started with the attack on Pearl Harbor. In 1944, he was inducted into the U.S. Army as an infantry man and stationed at Guadalcanal, New Guinea - located in the southern Solomon Islands in the Pacific theater. He spent his spare time giving GIs haircuts and playing Hawaiian music on his ukulele. Charlie was never formally trained in music but was able to play the piano, guitar and ukulele by "ear." He would listen to the melody first then inexplicably duplicate the notes on the musical instrument!
Charlie was discharged from the Army 1947 and returned to work at the shipyard as a pipefitter. In 1949, he married the beautiful Dora Mau, former Mckinley H.S. Songleader. Soon after, their daughter Charla was born.
He continued to work at PH where he up-fitted submarines and battleships with asbestos insulation for many, many years. The daily handling of asbestos resulted in grave results for many of the shipyard workers as they began feel the negative effects of being exposed to this deadly fiber.
In the 1969, chest x-rays showed a spot on Charlie's lung. Surgery of the lung revealed a large scar caused by asbestos but no trace of cancer. In 1974, his wife Dora passed away. Charlie decided to retire from of the pipefitter's shop 56 as a General Foreman with 38 years of service. He was looking forward to living a stress-free life.
...Charlie enjoyed taking Las Vegas junkets and ball room dancing. He was quite the dancer as he was very good at remembering dance steps. Of course his dance card was filled from the 1st dance to the last. All the women enjoyed dancing with the Pake Fred Astaire.
In the 1990's, Charlie met Bong Ae "Aiko" Park on the dance floor. She barely spoke any English but he was able to "woo" her with his manly charm and slick dance steps. On Nov 21, 1997, Charlie married Aiko in Las Vegas... Charlie and Aiko loved to dance and travel together. They went on cruises to Ensenada and the Carribean. They went to Las Vegas 3-4 times a year. You'll see in the photos today that Charlie will go wherever there is fun and plenty of good food!
On July 12, 2012 ,at age 91, Charlie succumbed to the debilitating effects of calcified lungs due to asbestosis, weakening kidneys and a failing heart.
As a husband, father, grandfather and friend no one could be finer or kinder. Charlie was able to bless his family and friends with his love, support, and the appreciation of life for many decades. The world has lost a wonderful, kind man but heaven is gaining the Pake Fred Astaire! We can picture him with his dancing shoes on, his dance card filled from the 1st dance to the last and dancing with the angels.
We love you and we will miss you, Charlie. Rest in Peace.
Charlie attended McKinley High School and graduated in 1938... He was a Lieutenant in ROTC and the VP of the Daily Pinion (the high school newspaper). With a keen interest in fast cars and motorcycles, Charlie used to terrorize the neighborhood children by racing his motorcycle down Kuakini lane where he lived. He earned spare change by working at his Uncle's gas station with his younger brother, Nick at his side.
He later became a pipefitter at PHNSY until WWII started with the attack on Pearl Harbor. In 1944, he was inducted into the U.S. Army as an infantry man and stationed at Guadalcanal, New Guinea - located in the southern Solomon Islands in the Pacific theater. He spent his spare time giving GIs haircuts and playing Hawaiian music on his ukulele. Charlie was never formally trained in music but was able to play the piano, guitar and ukulele by "ear." He would listen to the melody first then inexplicably duplicate the notes on the musical instrument!
Charlie was discharged from the Army 1947 and returned to work at the shipyard as a pipefitter. In 1949, he married the beautiful Dora Mau, former Mckinley H.S. Songleader. Soon after, their daughter Charla was born.
He continued to work at PH where he up-fitted submarines and battleships with asbestos insulation for many, many years. The daily handling of asbestos resulted in grave results for many of the shipyard workers as they began feel the negative effects of being exposed to this deadly fiber.
In the 1969, chest x-rays showed a spot on Charlie's lung. Surgery of the lung revealed a large scar caused by asbestos but no trace of cancer. In 1974, his wife Dora passed away. Charlie decided to retire from of the pipefitter's shop 56 as a General Foreman with 38 years of service. He was looking forward to living a stress-free life.
...Charlie enjoyed taking Las Vegas junkets and ball room dancing. He was quite the dancer as he was very good at remembering dance steps. Of course his dance card was filled from the 1st dance to the last. All the women enjoyed dancing with the Pake Fred Astaire.
In the 1990's, Charlie met Bong Ae "Aiko" Park on the dance floor. She barely spoke any English but he was able to "woo" her with his manly charm and slick dance steps. On Nov 21, 1997, Charlie married Aiko in Las Vegas... Charlie and Aiko loved to dance and travel together. They went on cruises to Ensenada and the Carribean. They went to Las Vegas 3-4 times a year. You'll see in the photos today that Charlie will go wherever there is fun and plenty of good food!
On July 12, 2012 ,at age 91, Charlie succumbed to the debilitating effects of calcified lungs due to asbestosis, weakening kidneys and a failing heart.
As a husband, father, grandfather and friend no one could be finer or kinder. Charlie was able to bless his family and friends with his love, support, and the appreciation of life for many decades. The world has lost a wonderful, kind man but heaven is gaining the Pake Fred Astaire! We can picture him with his dancing shoes on, his dance card filled from the 1st dance to the last and dancing with the angels.
We love you and we will miss you, Charlie. Rest in Peace.
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