Charles E. Pimms Jr.

Charles E. Pimms, Jr., at sixty-six years of age, passed away on Wednesday, November 12, 2025 – his last moments in the Yakima MultiCare Memorial Hospital with family and friends.

He was born on Sunday, August 23, 1959, in Toppenish, Washington to Kathryn M. O’Neal and Charles Pimms Sr.

His mother is Northern Arapahoe from Wyoming, and his father is Yakama, with Grand Ronde and Arapahoe dependency.

Charles Jr. is a Wapato High School graduate and attended Washington State University.

Charles started working with the Yakama Nation in 1973 on the Yakama Forest Development crew. Through his employment with Yakama Nation, Charles worked for the Fire Control on Engines, later Helitack, then helping start the Silviculture/Fuels Program. He returned to Fire Control, managing the Helitack Program into the early 1990s. It wasn’t until the late 1990s that he transitioned to the Training Officer and eventually transitioned into the Assistant Fire Management Officer Logistics/Aviation Manager/Training Officer. In the later part of 2018, he retired.

Charles was always actively dedicated to building and training folks for Forestry, Fuels and Fire. He served the Yakama Nation while enhancing tribal forest land and the individuals that worked to protect it.

The Yakama Nation acknowledged Charles’ dedication to the tribe, stating that the comradery that is built working alongside each other daily and during extended periods of time in emergent events creates an extended family among personnel within the Tribal Forestry Program. The passing of one of our own has a great impact on the program as he worked with various sections of the programs closely during projects and as a wildland firefighter.

He had a passion for gardening, growing tomatoes and peppers of all kinds. Charles loved to cook his specialty, Filipino chicken adobo, along with spaghetti, ham, roast, all while sipping his PEPSI. He would wear his favorite black shirts and Nike ballcaps often watching Seahawks football, Kraken hockey, Mariner baseball and horse racing. His hobbies included rodeo bull riding, hunting, fishing, stargazing and mapping. He also took the time to watch school sports and support family. He tuned in and listened to Stevie Nicks, Prince, Micheal Jackson, Pat Benetar, Madonna, Shania Twain, Shinedown, Quaterflash, Toto, Blondie, Bon Jovi, Adele, and The Time.

Charles was a Toppenish Eagles member, and an Honorary Member of Sea Galley Shipwreck.

His daughter, Erin Cloud-Pimms, his sister, Jody Pimms, his brothers Nicolas Corpuz and Anothony Pimms, his nieces and nephews, Dave’y Lumley, Cassius Corpuz, Whitney Corpuz, Keanan Corpuz, Kayana Bass, Leslie Ferolito and Angelo Ferolito, his aunt, Anita Pimms Swan, his uncle, George Pimms Sr., his cousins, Oliver Pimms, Jr. and Bonnie Pimms, his pets dogs, Lady and Kylo and his fish aquarium, all survive Charles E. Pimms, Jr.

His sister, Lisa R. Pimms, his brother, David P. Pimms, his mother Katheryn M. O’Neal, his father Charles Pimms Sr., his aunts, Florence Pimms Haggerty, Delores Pimms Moore, Rita Pimms Stevens, and Rosemary Wyman Pimms, his uncles, Ray Pimms, Jr., Oliver Pimms Sr., his paternal grandparents, Meda Wheeler Pimms and Ray Pimms, his maternal grandparents, Caroline Friday O’Neal and Patrick O’Neal Sr., were among those greeting and hugging Charles E. Pimms, Jr. in Heaven.

He was transported November 14, 2025, from the Valley Hills Funeral Home of Wapato, Wash. to the Wapato Longhouse, Donald Road, Wapato, Wash. in preparation for overnight religious services. Morning burial services were held on Saturday, November 15 in the St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery of White Swan, Wash.

Officiating the services were Deland Olney and Arnold Eyle. Casket Pallbearers were Ethan Miller, Sonny Dittentholer, Pernell Smartlowit, Keanan Corpuz, Louden Fiander and Nicholas Corpuz. Honorary Pallberers were Ralph Sampson, Willie Dittentholer, Gary Peters, Max Corpuz, Harold Miller, Thomas Dittentholer, all Forestry Programs and Associates.