Charles Heckart

Charles “Chuck” Heckart passed away peacefully at his home in Yakima on June 30, 2016. He was 89 years old. Chuck was born in Mutual, Oklahoma on March 25, 1927 to W. Dwayne and Mabel Heckart. The family moved North to the Seattle/Maple Valley area when Chuck was quite young. Upon graduating high school, he served in the U.S. Army until his honorable discharge in 1946. After returning home, with the money saved while in the army, he purchased his first truck and moved to the Toppenish area where he worked as an independent hauler for U&I Sugar. There he made a good friend, Lynn Jewett, who invited him home where Chuck met Lynn’s sister Sadie and the rest is history. He and his wife Sadie were married for 68 years and it was she who made it possible for Chuck to stay home and be cared for these last more difficult years. Chuck and Sadie began a business in 1966, which eventually became Thunderbird Trucking & Construction, primarily engaged in road building in various areas of the state of Washington. In addition to his love of trucks and big machinery, he enjoyed time with his son Tony during their car racing days. Baptized in the Christian Church in Mutual as a youth, he had a deep and abiding faith in his savior and always enjoyed his place at the head of the holiday table leading us in prayer and thanks. It is our family’s hope when our time comes, we may face death as boldly and fearlessly as dad with his certainty, his Lord was waiting. Chuck is survived by his wife Sadie (Jewett) Heckart, son Anthony “Tony” (Cheryl), Rebecca “Becky” (Bobby) Bond, grandchildren, Heidi (Ozzy) Mendoza, A.J. (Shannon) Heckart, Jim (Becky) Bond, Jason Bond, Candice and Heather Heckart, Great grandchildren Tori, Jacob, Chase, Zach, Joshua, Hannah, Brooke and Rowan. He was preceded in death by both his parents, Mabel and Dwayne Heckart, brother Melvin Heckart and sister Margaret Brownlee. Graveside services will be 11:00am Monday, July 11, 2016 at Terrace Heights Memorial Park. A gathering will follow at East Valley Dutch Reformed Church located at 7203 Mieras Rd. Yakima 98901. The family would like to thank the staff at North Star Lodge, Drs. Heflick, Harrison, Thorner and Li for your kind and excellent care of Chuck these last years and the wonderful people working for Memorial Hospice care To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Charles Heckart, please visit our flower store.