CHARLES "CHUCK" CARLTON CHATFIELD

1936 - 2025

Charles "Chuck" Carlton Chatfield, 89, of Linden, California, passed on October 14, 2025, from complications associated with advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease.
Chuck's life will always be intertwined and defined by the guiding principles of "Faith in God, and Love of Family" – words he not only demonstrated daily in his actions, but also frequently inscribed in messages to his wife, children and grandchildren, over his lifetime.
Born to Lucille and Raymond Chatfield in the rural farming town of Colusa, California, Chuck and his brother LeRoy were raised under the umbrella of devout Catholic traditions, and the daily responsibilities of a hard-working, generational, farming family.
In 1950, Chuck had an opportunity to attend and live at Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento, California. He never forgot the generosity of the Brothers, who offered him tuition assistance and a place to live, while his parents travelled during his high school years to sustain work as harvesters in California and Arizona.
Chuck had a prolific four years as a multi-sport athlete at Christian Brothers and was later inducted into their Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019. Upon graduation, he received a scholarship as a multi-sport scholar athlete at College of the Pacific, in Stockton, California. Chuck graduated from Pacific with both a Bachelors and a Masters degree in Physical Education. His taste for coaching really started after becoming a Graduate Assistant, and Assistant Coach for both Football and Baseball at Pacific. He then pursued the coaching profession and spent many years working with college athletes.
His coaching career includes Sacramento City College, Head Football Coach (1960), Washington State University, Backfield Coach (1961), and University of Utah, Backfield Coach (1963-64) when the Utes went on to the Liberty Bowl – the first major college football game ever to be played indoor. From there, Chuck went the professional route and joined the NFL as a member of the Dallas Cowboys scouting staff. Chatfield came back to the Sacramento region and joined the CSU Sacramento Football coaching staff in 1965 and remained there for three seasons, also acting in the capacity as Assistant to the President at CSUS.
As fate would have it, Chuck met Carolyn Rohnow, the love of his life, on a blind date while coaching in Sacramento. And that's when he decided it was time to settle down and start a family. He left the world of football altogether and went on to start a long and successful business career that included Chatfield Investment Company (1969-1990); Chatfield Construction (1990-2009)– a venture that proudly built 110 commercial buildings and automotive dealerships throughout Northern California; and Chatfield Vineyards (1980-2023). Yet, above all, the position of which he was most proud, was that of patriarch to his family. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
Chuck and Carolyn settled in Clements, CA in 1980, on a raw piece of ground that soon became known as the "Chatfield Ranch," where the family raised, bred, and rode Quarter Horses, specializing in reining and cutting. Over the years, the horse ranch gave way to a wine grape vineyard -the first of many Chuck developed in the region – and the Chatfield Ranch became ground zero for epic celebrations including weddings, reunions, holidays, milestone birthdays and more.
Together, Chuck and Carolyn worked as a team finding ways to give back to the communities they loved. Often recruiting family members young and old, they chaired and hosted fundraisers, capital campaigns, and events such as "Sunday in the Country" – an annual fundraiser for St. Joachim's Catholic Church in Lockeford, CA; "Corazon a Casa" - benefitting an orphanage in La Paz, Mexico; "Christmas Coats" – collecting hundreds of winter coats for local youth in San Joaquin County; the "Moose Meyers Men Annual BBQ and Golf Tournament," and countless more charities. Chuck was the Founding Director of Capital Bank of Commerce (Sacramento, CA), a Board Member of the California State Horse Racing Commission, Board Member of the Pacific Coast Cutting Horse Association, and a lifetime Member of the American Quarter Horse Association.
His passions and hobbies included cheering for the Sacramento Kings, the San Francisco Giants and the San Francisco Forty-Niners. He was an avid golfer, a part-time cowboy, and a fulltime fan for his grandchildren's various endeavors.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years, Carolyn; his children and their spouses, Christy and Brent Newport, Carey and Chris Madill, Corey and Jason Greenhaw, Gio Rossini, and Charles and Ashley Chatfield; his grandchildren Courtney, Callee, Caitlin, Evan, Ellon, Elizabeth, Caroline, Chase, Connor, Reese, Sienna, Gianna, Collette and Colton; as well as his great-grandchild - Ruby. He is preceded in death by his parents Lucille and Raymond Chatfield, daughter Casey Rossini, and grandson Rocco Rossini.
Chuck's services will be held on Monday, October 20 at Holy Cross Church in Linden, CA. Rosary at 10AM will be followed by Mass at 11AM. Private graveside burial will immediately follow Mass. In Lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Christian Brothers Tuition Assistance Fund, 4315 Martin Luther King Blvd., Sacramento CA 95820.