ForeverMissed
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His Life

Official Obituary

August 7, 2015

            Columbia, Missouri — Commander Charles (Charlie) Thomas Winfrey, age 69, died on August 4th, 2015 at his home in Columbia, Missouri after a long and spirited life. 

 Commander Winfrey is survived by a wife, Fayoline, two daughters and two son-in-laws:  Tara Winfrey-Kassulke and Katherine Glotzbach, Marty John Kassulke and Theodore William Glotzbach, III. He also leaves behind one grandson, William Thomas Glotzbach.

  He grew up in Carrollton, Missouri, one of four children of Thomas David Winfrey and “Peaches” Elliot. Charlie entered the Coast Guard continuing the legacy of his father Thomas in 1967 and completed two tours to Vietnam. He faithfully served his country for 26 years, 5 months and 11 days.  He took great pride in his Coast Guard career and completed duty stations as far west as Kodiak, Alaska and as far east as Nantucket, Massachusetts. Charlie retired from the Coast Guard in 1993 and went into the Merchant Marines. He achieved a Master’s License which allowed him to captain a vessel in any ocean and any tonnage. Second only to his Coast Guard career this was Charlie’s proudest accomplishment.  The pride and patriotism he learned in the Coast Guard never left him, as friends and family will attest.

Charlie loved life and anyone who came into contact with him left with a story and a memory never to be forgotten. One of his favorite sayings was “When in Duluth in December, you too can walk on water”. The best way to honor and remember Charlie is to live life to the fullest and have no regrets for things left undone.

In lieu of flowers the family has requested that donations be made in Charlie’s memory to:

Coast Guard Foundation

394 Taugwonk Rd.

Stonington, CT  06378