Charles James Embrey's Obituary
Charles (Chuck) James Embrey age 87 of Milton, DE passed away peacefully on May 27, 2024 with his loving family by his side.
Chuck is survived by his wife of 61 years, Romaine, and his three children, Marlene (Ray), Robert (Christine), and Jeannine (Alex) and his beloved grandchildren, Rachel (Michael), Lindsay, David, Charles, Patrick, Alison, and Chase. Chuck recently became a great-grandfather to Rachel and Michael’s son, Eli.
Born November 18, 1936 to Johanna and Charles Augustus Embrey, Chuck grew up in Webster, New York, with his two siblings, Madeline (Mag) and Henry (Hank), who preceded him in death. Chuck had a special relationship with his Dutch grandparents, Madeline and Henry Koopmans, who helped raise him alongside his parents.
After graduating from Webster High School in 1954, Chuck attended the University of Rochester where he studied business administration. His studies were cut short however, when his sister Madeline was diagnosed with a brain tumor and he began working to help pay for her successful surgery.
From 1957-1960, Chuck served in the U.S. Army where he was stationed in Hanau, Germany as a financial specialist. He loved serving in Germany and made many lifelong friends while in the Army. Chuck was honored to serve and often recalled his service as a turning point in his life.
Chuck had a long and successful career in defense contracting, a career that brought his family to a suburb of Washington D.C., Gaithersburg, Maryland in 1975. Throughout his career, Chuck was an active member of ADPA (American Defense Preparedness Association). By several accounts, his greatest career accomplishment was authoring a configuration management manual that is now a standard publication in the defense contracting industry.
Photography, cooking, and reading funny opinion editorials were just some of Chuck’s interests, but most of all, he loved spending time with his family, especially his many grandchildren.
The family would like to express their sincere appreciation to the exceptional caregivers at the Lofland Park Center Nursing Home. A private family service will be held at the Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery in Millsboro, Delaware. In observation of chapel regulations, the family requests that there be no flower donations. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Veterans Association of America https://www.vetsaa.org/.
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