Charles Murphy “Chuck” McGill
Charles Murphy “Chuck” McGill was born April 8, 1946, the first born son of William R. and Marjorie (Reid) McGill, in Ottawa, Ontario. He died suddenly and unexpectedly on September 6, 2010. He is predeceased by his father William (2003), and survived by his Mother Marjorie, brothers Jim (Judy) and Angus, nephew Kelly McGill (Stefanie), and his beloved cat Scourge. Chuck graduated from Mercer Island High in 1964 and attended college at Lower Columbia (Community) College in Longview, WA. He enlisted in the Navy and served nearly 3 tours in Vietnam, achieved a rank of ETN3, and was honorably discharged in 1970. Upon returning to civilian life, Chuck obtained degrees from Highline Community College (AA, 1973), Arizona State University (1976, BS Civil and Environmental Engineering), and South Seattle Community College (1980, AAS Aeronautical Science, Certificate in Airframe and Power Plant Maintenance. At various times he worked for Metro Transit, Mercer Island and Bellevue school districts. Chuck’s passions early in life were hot rods, unlimited hydroplane racing, his 1966 VW split-screen Camper Van, and hang gliding. He crewed for the Oh Boy Oberto racing team, and after that was an early proponent and marketer of turbine-powered hydroplanes. For many years, Chuck was active in the hang gliding community on the West Coast, notably in Santa Cruz, CA, Owens Valley, CA, Issaquah, WA, and Kelso, WA. In 1993, he took over publication of the Rigid Wing Reader. Eventually, injury forced him to retire from soaring, but he continued to design gliders and support the community. Chuck was a very generous man who offered to help whomever came his way with a problem or an idea in need of further development. He volunteered with Seattle Union Gospel Mission and Monroe State Penitentiary, as well as getting involved in his community as an activist and advocate. Among other causes, he campaigned for insurance reforms and for controlling military noise. Later in life he took up cooking, barbecue, reading, coin collecting, and caring for Kittyboy.A funeral service will be held on Thursday, September 30, 2010 at 2 pm at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Mercer Island, Washington. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Doctors Without Borders or Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission.
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