Charles Frederick Haist
Charles Frederick Haist, age 87, of Shoreacres, Texas, peacefully passed away on the 7th of August 2023, surrounded by loved ones, after a difficult battle with complications of Covid.
Chuck was born on the 3rd of April 1936 to William Mitchell Haist, jr. and Edna Lillian Johnson Haist in the small community of O’fallons, Nebraska. After Chuck graduated from Hershey Public School in 1954, he studied Electrical Engineering at Oklahoma State University, graduating in 1962.
In between High School and College Chuck spent three years serving in the United States Air Force, and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan after training.
After graduating from Oklahoma State, he worked in the space industry for 52 years. Chuck was passionate about aviation and space travel, and loved what he did for a living.
In 1958 he met Gwendolyn Jane Chandler, the love of his life, at a USO dance at England Air Force Base in Alexandria, Louisiana. Chuck and Polly were married on the 30th of January 1959 at the First United Methodist Church in Winnfield, Louisiana, and went of to have two children, Christopher Frederick Haist and Erika Gabrielle Haist Carey.
Chuck worked for various NASA contractors for most of his career, living and raising children in Huntsville, Alabama and Houston, Texas. In his spare time, he enjoyed hunting and fishing as he did in his youth in rural Nebraska, passing these traditions on to his children and many grandchildren.
Chuck was predeceased by his parents and his older brother William Mitchell Haist III. He is survived by Polly, his wife of 64 years, his sisters, Marilyn Haist Huebner and Clarice Haist Hedges, and his Children, Chris and his wife Angela Smith Haist, and Erika and her husband Randy Carey, as well as his five grandchildren Patrick Carey, Alexandra Carey Woodland, Chandler Haist, Annabelle Haist, and Karl Haist, and one great-grandchild, Finlay Randolph Carey, who he just met last month.
He was a good husband, a proud father, and an honest and hardworking man. He loved his family, and they loved him, and he will be dearly missed. We hope you find peace in heaven, Papaw.
You will be missed greatly, Chuck. We hope Bengie and Mrs. Chuck find happiness in their memories of you. Rest in peace, sweet man.
One of the finest and genuine humans we have ever known. It was always a great pleasure to spend time with Chuck and just talk and to pet his sweet dog Benji. Those chats and walks will be greatly missed my friend. Godspeed on the next adventure.
I will greatly miss Chuck nd Benji and especially on his and my morning walk. Gary Hamilton
You will be missed Chuck. He was quick with a joke and a smile. Always willing to assist anywhere he could. It was always great to se him and Benji on my morning walks. He would say “this is Benji and I’m Benji’s Dad. Rest in peace Benji’s Dad.
Chuck was a mentor of mine, and he and Ernie Hahne did more to grow me as an engineer, a thinker, and more importantly as a leader than the next 25+ people in my life put together. That ability to give of ones self, share, build others, is largely gone from our “me too” culture. SAD. I lost track of Chuck any posthumously wished I have had the chance to tell him “THANK YOU!!” for being there for me. This is my 2nd best – a note in his legacy. How many of us can say those words to an ex-boss? Godspeed, Chuck….you will ALWAYS be in my soul and remembered……