Charles R. Gunkel

I grew up next to Chuck in Magna Ut, I remember from a young age he was nice to my famliy and those around him. He taught me to respect my parents and their opinions . I like that he Built a basket ball hoop from wood and we would go shoot hoops for hours. He always had energy after a long work day to play ball. When I was a teenager my friend got stuck out in a large mud feild , I am not sure how we contacted Chuck we did have cell phones back then, any how he came out with his Nissan Truck and yanked us out of the mud hole. My heart goes out to his family that had to experience his loss twice in their lifes.

This picture is how I will remember Chuck. This was taken during. Bear Lake camping trip. Chuck was always having fun with his daughters, Heather and Kelly. There is another picture floating around somewhere that has the guys at the beach, all in a row mooning the camera. Chuck didn´t hesitate to join in on the fun.
May your soul find peace Chuck.

Great sorrow lives within me at with the loss of this man. He came into my life almost 50 years ago and still holds a huge place in my heart. Mere words cannot fully draw a picture of Chuck, nor can they define the charisma, humor, and gentleness he shared with all who encountered him. His willingness to help others knew no bounds. If he wasn't building sheds, decks, and garages with the family, he was fixing faucets, furnaces, or framing in basements. He was a fun person to be around and always told the best stories. He leaves behind many people who truly loved him. I will miss him but the essence of him is within me. I am grateful for the many years I was able to spend with him. Rest in peace, Chuck. You'll not be forgotten.

Chuck was my dad, and his departure from this world will never stop feeling surreal and imaginary. Missing him is something I've had to get used to, but this new level of missing is something entirely different. What a profound experience to lose someone who has been with you all your life - someone who exists in your very cells.

Years ago, I was going through a major life transition. It was one of those paradigm shifts that not everyone gets to experience but if you know, you know.

Throughout that time, I struggled with navigating such high-stakes decision-making, so I talked to my dad about it. He told me he had learned that the highest pursuit of happiness and fulfillment lies in pursuing the happiness of those we love, rather than our own. He said that to me with the voice of a man who discovered that truth through lived experience--with the voice of a man who has done it both ways and has tales to tell.

The love, compassion, forgiveness, and tenderness I feel for my father fills my heart so full that it literally aches. Losing him before I was ready has created in me a pain and a longing that I have never felt before, but it is soothed by the knowledge that he knew he was loved and accepted for who he was.

I am deeply grateful that Chuck was my dad.

A bother we will never forget and will always love.

Chuck was my brother, my friend, and long ago, the one who always brushed my long hair and gave me braids. As the third oldest of seven children he always seemed interested in what us little ones were up to, usually no good When I was six or seven I´m not sure, I would keep bringing wild birds home, never wounded but I claimed they were so I could keep them. Inevitably the cat had a lot of free meals. So one morning I had caught a bird, and Chuck asked me how do you catch so many birds? I said I would tell him if he kept it a secret, he said he would, so off we went to the alley behind our house. I told him to lay next to me real close to the neighbors fence and lay low, be quiet, and wait. The wholes in the fence were tiny, and so was my hand, after about half hour or so one landed in the little whole of the fence and I quickly grabbed it. Then I took a tiny twig and put it in the beak so it wouldn´t hurt me. Chuck smiled and told me how clever I was, then went on to explain how the wild birds didn´t mind being caught so much if the cat didn´t get to them, and maybe it was best to just like them for a few minutes then let them go. I agreed after some heavy thinking, I wanted a pet, soon after Chuck found me a stray cat.
You will always be remembered and missed Chuck
And I always have and always will love you

Chuck was an incredible person. We know he loved his family deeply.

I have a lot of great memories of Chuck from when I was a kid. He added an extra layer of fun to the Bear Lake camping trips. Chuck showed up to all of the Stireman work parties and is one of the only guys out there who could run a crew of Stireman uncles.