Chief Charles "Charlie" Buel Quick Jr.

Chief Charles Buel Quick, Jr., aka Charlie, dad, and our hero, was born in Laurel, MS, on July 25, 1943, and died on December 21, 2022, at the age of 79. He attended the College of Hard Knocks, receiving his Ph.D. in Street Smarts and Learning the Hard Way. Eager to let his journey begin, he joined the U.S. Navy in 1960, and it was his long and dedicated military career that he used to define himself as a man and an American citizen.
Charlie felt the salt spray and ocean winds blowing from the four quarters of the globe. He served three deployments in Vietnam, captained the admiral's barge (a piece of naval history) for the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, and participated in the recovery of NASA's extra-terrestrial flight of the Apollo 17 astronauts and spacecraft. Anyone who walked through his front door was greeted with images of the vessels, tugs, and PT boats, along with countless commendations, medals, and awards illustrating the accomplishments he never dreamed of or imagined being a part of in his lifetime. And, of course, the stories he vividly shared to accompany each memento often extended an intended short visit into a much longer one!
In 1965, Charlie married our mom, Linda, a fun, feisty, red-headed knockout he lovingly referred to as "Hell on Wheels" during their nearly 57 years of marriage. Together, they had two children; a daughter and their favorite child, Charlotte Kathryn Quick Canfora (Frank), and a son, Charles Robert (Bobby) Quick (Mia), a close runner-up. Kelsei Nicole Quick was his only grandchild who says she will forever miss his constant smile and joking nature – but NOT his "wet willies."
Being in the military while raising children often meant deployments for weeks, sometimes months, and was especially challenging for the family dynamic with no cell phones, texting, or Facetime. He always gave mom full credit for wearing the hat of mother and father while he did a job he loved that allowed him to provide for his family and fulfill his duty to his country. But when dad was home, he always made it fun and exciting! We never received an allowance for chores considered part of our familial obligation. When we wanted money for the Friday night football game, we had to earn it. Usually, the payoff would come from performing a physical challenge like walking across the yard while doing a handstand or consuming something awful, e.g., a raw egg, some spicy sauce or pepper, and vinegar. His amusement from these antics mirrored paying top dollar for the hottest ticket in town. Looking back on childhood, dad was a real instigator of entertainment for everyone. Neighborhood kids gravitated to our house because our parents were always fun. Games like Marco Polo in the pool, trampoline dodgeball, or the famous water hose fights that would start at our house and end with multiple houses and families participating in the madness and merriment!
After retiring from the U.S. Navy, he could not resist the call of the fleet of destroyers, aircraft carriers, submarines, and countless other types of navy vessels. So, he started his second career with the Charleston Naval Shipyard and later transferred to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, where he finally retired for good and relocated to Gonzales, LA. His favorite past times included leisurely floating on a noodle in the backyard pool, rocking on the porch listening to the rain and passing thunderstorms, tinkering in the garage making many prototypes of mom's latest and greatest invention, and enjoying audiobooks while playing computer solitaire before eventually discovering the endless entertainment value of Facebook and Tiktok.
Charlie was predeceased by his wife, Linda Kathryn Bacon Quick, a short three and a half months before his passing. While a broken heart is not a medical condition, it is the most fitting description of his devastating grief of living without his best friend and one true love with whom he is now happily reunited for eternity. He is also preceded in death by his mom, Addie Kate Herrington Quick, his father, Charles Buel Quick, Sr., and his much-loved dachshunds, Heidi and Maggie.
A combined celebration of life for our parents will be planned for spring 2023. Dad will receive military funeral honors, and the family will scatter their ashes in the harbor of Naval Station Mayport, FL, which they agreed held the happiest memories for them.