Lifetime Estacada resident, Charles (Charley) Richards, died at his home on June 16, 2024. He was 84.
A celebration of his life with family and friends sharing stories and a picnic lunch will be held July 20th. See below for details.
Charles Reginald Richards was born April 22, 1940 in Hillsboro, Oregon to George and Alice (Smyser) Richards. He was raised in Eagle Creek and Estacada where he graduated from high school. Upon graduation, Charley married Corrinne Wenz in 1958 and they soon purchased a home in Estacada, where they continued living and raised their two children. They divorced in 1978. In 1979, he married Ramona Bess, and they lived together in a home next door to Mona’s youngest daughter. To both Mona and Charley’s delight they were able to be a daily part of their two granddaughter’s lives. They remained together in their home in Estacada until Mona’s death in 2014.
Charley was a hard-working man, who spent his entire career in the logging industry. Starting as a choker setter and tree topper and working his way up to being an extremely respected crew boss and yarder engineer. Charley retired in his early sixties, but continued staying active, doing part time jobs running a cat for his previous employer.
Charley was always an outdoorsman. He enjoyed fishing, skeet shooting and in his earlier years participating in yearly duck and deer hunting adventures with his longtime friends.
In his retirement years he continued fishing and enjoyed teaching his grandson all the parts to skeet shooting. He was an accomplished gardener and really enjoyed sharing his tomatoes with family members, while engaging in a bit of friendly competition with his sister. Charley cared for and tamed several local feral cats, kept the native birds well fed and was appreciated by his neighbors, even had the honor of having a neighbor’s first born named after him. Charley especially loved being a grandpa to his three grandchildren, two great grandchildren and was an adopted grandpa to several of his neighbor children.
Charley was the oldest of four children and is survived by his three siblings, Gerry Richards, Edwin Richards and Susan Richards. Additionally, survivors include his daughter, Louise Richards; son, Lloyd Richards; step daughters, Marion (Paul) Yates and Debbie (Jon) Anderson; 3 grandchildren; Jamie Sandness, Jennifer Anderson and Leo Richards and 2 great grandchildren Kasen and Kamryn Sandness.
A Celebration of Charley’s life will be held on July 20th at 1 PM in the backyard of his sister Sue Richards home in Eagle Creek OR.