Carl Wesley "Mac" McHargue

CARL WESLEY MCHARGUE
September 19, 1930 ˜ August 3, 2023

When the sky is clear blue, the sun shines bright, and a glimpse of five regional mountains can be seen on the horizon, there’s a phrase our Dad, a longtime Clark County resident, liked to say, “It’s a Five-Mountain Day!”

Carl (Mac) Wesley McHargue, passed away peacefully Aug. 3, 2023, on one of those Five-Mountain days. He was 92 years old.

Born in Owyhee, OR, on Sept. 19, 1930, to Ruby (South), a nurse, and Warren McHargue, a barber, Carl was second oldest of five siblings, Gene, Freddie, Delores, and Lloyd.

When Carl was a toddler, the family traveled along the newly constructed Columbia River Highway to relocate in the Aberdeen/Cosmopolis, WA, area. Carl enjoyed telling stories of his Pacific Northwest childhood. He was industrious at a young age, holding down a paper route, stripping cascara bark, picking wild huckleberries, and gathering evergreens and ferns to sell to local merchants.

His summers were spent on an Eastern Oregon ranch with his Uncle Rush and Aunt Emily, where he helped with chores, explored mysterious caves in high cliffs and had other adventures with his brothers and sister.

In June of 1947, a 16-year-old Carl entered the US Army Air Corps (which later became the US Air Force). His young age of enlistment has a longer story behind it, Carl was one of the thousands of soldiers on troop ships destined to serve in post WWII Occupied Guam and Okinawa. Carl married Luann Lamborn in 1951, although their relationship wasn’t permanent. They had a daughter together, Karlua.

Carl remained in the service for 20 years. Being a veteran was a defining achievement for Carl and he talked of his times in the military with much pride and enthusiasm. He was stationed in Greenham Common, England, in the late 1950’s, where he met and married Pat Hine, his English Rose wife of 66 years. Carl and Pat had two daughters, Cathie and Claudia. After a few more posts, Carl retired as a master sergeant in 1967, and the family moved to Vancouver, WA. Carl joined Air Liquide for 15 years, then later became a valued employee of the family-owned Vancouver Bolt, retiring fully in 1995.

Carl was always an avid reader, especially of WWII history and biographies. The Vancouver Barnes and Noble staff knew him by name. Carl and Pat’s house contains an abundance of books. A news junkie too, Carl still loved a “real” newspaper. Carl had a wicked latte habit, extra sweet. He loved to poke around on his two-acre property, on beaches, and to browse at the Goodwill and antique marts. He and Pat enjoyed staying at his daughter Cathie and son-in-law Doug’s beach cabin at Ocean Park and celebrating holidays with their Battle Ground granddaughters and great-grandchildren. Many trips were taken to the Midwest to visit his daughter Claudia and son-in-law Dan and granddaughter. In 2016, Carl took part in an honor flight, joining other veterans honored on a daylong tour of Washington, D.C.

Carl had a bond with animals. He loved feeding squirrels and crows especially. Carl and Pat had several pets they cherished over the years. Carl gifted his love of nature to his daughters and family.

A longtime member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Carl served on the vestry and enjoyed being part of a regular work party, the Thursday Group, for many years.

Carl loved taking long drives with Pat. Favorite local destinations included Frenchman’s Bar, the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge, and up the Gorge to Cascade Locks. He also loved driving to Mountain View Cemetery near La Center, where many of his long-rooted Washington family rest, and now, so will he, with a forever view of some of those Five Mountain Day mountains.

Carl is survived by his wife, Pat; daughters, Cathie Beseda (Doug) of Battle Ground, Claudia McGehee (Dan) of Iowa City, IA, and Karlua Giguere (Thomas) of Coral Springs, FL. Carl had six grandchildren; Kelsey (Chris), Emily (Matt) of Battle Ground, and Andrea of Glasgow, Scotland, Lucy (Jimmy) of Denver, CO, Taylor (John) of Edmonds and Jesse of Coral Springs, FL; and three great-grandchildren, Callie, Lane Douglas, and Olivia. Carl is the last of the McHargue siblings to “fall off the perch” as he was fond of putting it, with a laugh.

The family would like to express much gratitude and appreciation to Ana Broboana and her family, for making Carl’s last few months happy and comfortable. Thanks also goes to Wendy Gilderson of Wendy’s Barber and Salon, who cut Carl’s hair regularly for over two decades.

Graveside services and a 21-gun-salute will be held at Mountain View (“View”) cemetery, at a later date.
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