Charles Ehlke

Charles Ehlke, 91, of Fort Worth, went to be with the Lord on July 5, 2017, with his daughter at his side.
MEMORIAL SERVICE: 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, July 26th at Christ Lutheran Church, 4409 Sycamore School Road, Fort Worth.
Charles Clarence Ehlke was born on February 2, 1926 in Milwaukee, Wis. Chuck and his wife, Faith were high school sweethearts and were married 70 joyful years. They enjoyed a life-long devotion to each other and to their three children Peter, Susan, and Bruce.
Charles enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17 during World War II while still in high school, and was in the V-12 Navy College Training Program as an officer candidate during the war. He attended Northwestern University through the Naval ROTC and graduated with a degree in Naval Science. Chuck was commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Naval Reserve, and entered active duty at sea on the destroyer USS K. D. Bailey in the North Atlantic. He served his country on active duty for an additional two years during the Korean War, commissioned as an officer on the cruiser USS Toledo.
He started his working career as a draftsman with Allis Chalmers and later Trackson Company, which was eventually purchased by Caterpillar Tractor. Chuck worked as a mechanical engineer at Caterpillar for over forty years, held a number of patents for his engineering work, and later became the Assistant Director of Research for that company.
Although a man of logic, numbers, and science, Chuck was also a loving, caring father and husband, spending hours on intricately planned family vacations and outings, and supporting his children in school, sports, and music. He was absolutely devoted to Faith and never had a harsh word for her; they held hands daily until the day she died. Chuck used his quiet dignity, strength, and caring to lead and guide the family, and used his engineering skills to fix a car, improve the house, build soap box derby cars, repair saddles, and design and build skating rinks and bobsled runs in the back yard. His clever, understated sense of humor endeared him to all who knew him. Chuck was a doting grandfather and loved babysitting, playing, and reading to his grandkids. He attended their recitals, countless sporting events, school ceremonies, banquets, and graduations. He was a strong, devoted, loving, hardworking, intelligent, insightful, wonderful mix of logic, love, and sly humor. He was deeply loved and will be dearly missed.
Charles was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Faith and his son, Bruce.
SURVIVORS: He is survived by his son, Pete Ehlke and his wife, Kristy Westphal; daughter, Susan Howe and husband, Chris; and grandchildren, Kate Ehlke and Ashley and Carter Howe.

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