CHARLES "Chas" LOONEY Jr.

Charles A. "Chas" Looney, Jr. passed away on Sunday, December 4, 2016, surrounded by family. He was born on August 12, 1918, in Muskogee, OK, one of four children to Ellen Blair Hutchings and Charles A. Looney. Chas attended schools in Muskogee graduating from Central High School. He attended Westminster College in Fulton, MO for two years, and graduated from the University of Missouri, School of Journalism, with a Bachelor of Journalism. Shortly after graduation, he went to work in the advertising department of The Springfield (MO) News-Leader and Press. Less than a year later, he volunteered to serve one year in the military as a Selective Service Volunteer rather than be drafted. He reported to Jefferson Barracks, MO. Following "boot camp" at March Field, CA, he was assigned to the Fresno Army Air Base. While in Fresno, he met Rosalie Caine, a native Fresnan. A year later in 1942, they were married in Miami Beach, FL, the same day he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps. In 1943, following graduation from Air Intelligence School in Harrisburg, PA, Chas was ordered to the 14th Air Force in China. While in the Mediterranean, enroot to India, the convoy of 15 troopships and ten escort vessels was attacked by the German Air Force using radio controlled, jet propelled, glider bombs. It was the introduction of rocket warfare. One ship, The Rohna, was sunk with the loss of 1014 American lives. During World War II, this figure was exceeded only by the loss of 1038 Americans aboard the battleship Arizona sunk in Pearl Harbor. He served in China as an Intelligence Officer and Photo Interpreter with the 68th Composite Wing of the 14th Air Force from early 1944, until the war ended, and was awarded the Bronze Star. Chas was also awarded the China War Memorial Medal by the Chinese National Government for service in their fight against the Japanese. He retired from the United States Air Force Reserve as a Lt. Colonel and was a Lifetime Charter Member of the National World War II Memorial Society in Washington, D.C. Following the war, he returned to Fresno and worked at the Fresno Winery which was owned by his father-in-law, Coleman L. Caine. At the same time, he, Mr. Caine and Julius J. "Bud" Dau, his brother-in-law, formed a farming operation on the west side of Fresno County. When that disbanded, Chas formed Westside Farms with attorney, Thomas Lopez, whom he later bought out and farmed independently. In 1960, he formed Charles A. Looney Advertising which was merged into Thielen Ideacorp by his son Blair in 2008. Chas was a proud member of the Central California Advertising and Marketing Hall of Fame. He retired from Catalyst Marketing in February of 2016. Chas was active in community affairs, first serving as a director of The West Fresno Development Company, and later, the Fresno Development Company when Ted Wills was Fresno's mayor. He helped the late Dr. Walter Rohlfing and the late William Meux pass two school bond measures and chaired the United Way campaign publicity committee on several occasions. He served on the Board of Directors of Valley Children's Hospital, Community Hospital, Community Hospital and Medical Center, and Community Hospitals of Central California. He was a Director and founding President of the Community Hospitals of Central California Foundation. He was a member of the Chancellor's Associates of The California State University and Colleges; President of the Fresno State Golf Association for three terms; a founding Director of AgOne at the CSUF School of Agriculture; and a founding Director of the National Agricultural Marketing Association, NAMA, chapter at the university. He served on the board of the First Congregational Church of Fresno and as a Director of the University-Sequoia-Sunnyside Country Club. Chas was a member and President of the Rotary Club of Fresno; an honorary member of the Fig Garden Rotary Club; and served Rotary International District 523 as Governor. He was a Fresno Fellow and Life Member of the Fresno Club, and a Paul Harris Fellow, Benefactor and Major Donor to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. He served Rotary Playland as director and President and was instrumental in getting the main entrance of the Zoo transferred to the west side to increase traffic to the Zoo, Playland and Storyland. He and Rho loved to travel and attend as many Rotary International Conventions as they could. Twice, he served as Rotary International's Council of Legislation which is the Parliament of Rotary. In addition to traveling, Chas liked to garden and play golf at Sunnyside Country Club. He was preceded in death by his wife Rosalie; and granddaughter, Carolyn Looney. Chas is survived by his son, Charles A. III and his wife Paula, and their daughter Elaine; son, Blair and his wife Elizabeth, and their daughters, Teya and Brandy, and son Tristan; son, Hutch and his wife Cheryl, and their daughter Elizabeth; his brother Hutch; nieces and nephews; and his companion, Pamela D. Olsen of Los Gatos, CA, who brought caring, sharing and love to two lonely people as they travelled the world. A Memorial Service will be held at Northwest Church, 5415 N. West Avenue, Fresno, CA, on Friday, December 16, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to The Rotary Club of Fresno, 2307 N. Fine Avenue, Fresno, CA 93727; the Carolyn Yvonne Looney Scholarship in Deaf Education, c/o Texas Women's University, P.O. Box 425618, Denton, TX 76204-5618; or the donor's charity of choice.