Charles Supplee

Charles B. Supplee, 75, died Monday, June 8, 2009, at the Olivia White Hospice Home in Flagstaff.

Mr. Supplee was born on Nov. 15, 1933, in Grinnell, Iowa. From an early age, he applied his keen intellect and insatiable curiosity to everything that caught his interest. After obtaining a Ph.D. in statistics and education at Northwestern University, he became a lifelong educator. He enjoyed several careers in education, including teaching high school science and later at Northern Arizona University in the education department. He then moved on to a successful career at Hewlett Packard in human resources. Next, he applied his hands-on technical knowledge training and educating in the nuclear industry by creating training procedures and guidelines while at Trojan Nuclear Power, and then retiring at STP-Nuclear Plant in Bay City, Texas.

Mr. Supplee's interests were more than hobbies - he wanted to learn whatever he engaged in to the point of mastering an art or craft. His hobbies were numerous and included several forms of art, music, photography, sailboat racing and opera. Later in life, he mastered the construction of unusual stringed instruments and was a member of the American Luthiers Guild. His last major activity was acting as a key speaker on hospice and palliative care to the NAU nursing program to assist on a student project.

His intellect and wonderful sense of humor were enjoyed by everyone he came in contact with, and he was known as quite a jokester. He will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved him.

Mr. Supplee is survived by children Edwin, Charles, Norma, Donald and Barbara; 13 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and his sister Phylllis.

His family would like to thank and commend the Olivia White Hospice Home staff for the skill and love they showed while taking such good care of Mr. Supplee.

A memorial service will be Sunday, at 4 p.m., at Norvel Owens Mortuary, in Flagstaff.