Charles R. Hovander

Charles R. HOVANDER Charles R. Hovander passed away on May 13, 2009 at the age of 82. Born to Swedish parents, Charles and Amanda (Olson) Hovander, on September 23, 1926 in Bellingham, Washington. Charlie (aka Chuck to many friends) lived a full, rewarding and happy life with a multitude of good friends, his family and his furry friends (his cats). Many enjoyable memories were made growing up on the Hovander Dairy Farm in Ferndale, Washington (now known as the state owned Hovander Park). Charlie was the last living relative to have lived on the Hovander farm that raised and milked purebred Hereshire cows. In 1942 Charlie's parents left the Hovander farm when they bought a smaller dairy farm in Lynden, Washington. During WWII Charlie joined the Navy in January of 1944 with a fellow classmate, Lou Kingma, and both served together on a Navy hospital ship in the South Pacific. Charlie sustained an injury that caused him to leave the Navy in December, 1944. Once back in Lynden he enrolled in business college in Bellingham and later in 1946 left for Seattle to take a government job as an accountant. In 1949, Charlie enrolled in a four year optics program and when he graduated he went to work for Columbia Optical where he worked his way to a management position and eventually managed University Opticians in the Seattle University District. In 1968, Charlie moved next door and created his own business, Contact Lenses, Inc. At that time, Charlie was only l out of 2 opticians in the State of Washington that fit contact lenses by referral from Ophthalmologists. In 1980, Dr. Richard Kalena, Dean of Ophthalmology at the University of Washington, invited Charlie to come and work with his residents to educate them in the fitting of contact lenses for patients with Keratoconus. Charlie worked at the University of Washington for over 20 years. Much to the disappointment of his patients, he retired from his practice in January of 1992 and moved to Ferndale, Washington, to care for his aging mother. However, he stayed on part-time at the University of Washington until the year 2001. In August of 2006, Charlie moved to Burlington, Washington, where he acquired new friendships as well. Charlie was an active member of the Queen City Yacht Club in Seattle and the Nanaimo Yacht Club in Canada. He spent many enjoyable times on his boat, Happy Daze, in the San Juans and the Desolation Sound Area in Canada. Charlie's other passion was restoring vintage and antique cars. He always had a fondness for Jaguars and helped form the first Jaguar Club in Washington State in the early 1970's. He was an active member of the Classic Jaguar Club and the American Classic Car Club. Charlie loved boating, the restoration of his cars, his many patients, his multitude of friends and in the last 18 years, his beloved companion, Carolyn. He was especially proud of his sons, his Swedish heritage and his many accomplishments; he was a true patriot and a very proud veteran. Charlie was a member of the Swedish Cultural Center and the American Legion, a life member of the Ballard Elks Club and a fellow member of the Contact Lens Society of America and the National Academy of Opticianary. Charlie will be remembered for his special talents, his loving personality and his sweet smile; he will be dearly missed. Charlie is survived by his loving companion Carolyn Hanley, his two sons, Dr. Michael Hovander and Dr. Mark Hovander, and grandchildren Nicole, Peter, Will and Dan. Charlie is also survived by his nephews, Cory, Jeff, Scott and Derek Hovander and a host of close friends and family from near and afar. Charlie was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Amanda Hovander, his sister, Arlene Hovander and his brother Warren Hovander. Graveside services will be held Thursday, May 21, 2009, at 12:00 Noon at Greenacres Memorial Park in Ferndale, WA. A memorial mass will be held on Saturday, June 6, 2009, at 11:00 AM, at St. Brendan's Catholic Church, 10100 NE 192nd St., Bothell, WA, 98011. Donations can be made to the Blind Veterans, Lighthouse for the Blind, or your favorite charity. You may share your thoughts and memories of Charlie in the on-line memorial guest book at www.molesfuneralhomes.com. Moles Funeral Homes Bayview Chapel - Bellingham