Charles “Chuck” Hoheisel, 91, died peacefully in his home in Andover on July 22, 2020.

Chuck was born on May 6, 1929 in Toledo, Ohio to Felix and Elizabeth Hoheisel and grew up with his older sister Beth in his parent’s home in Plymouth, Michigan. He graduated from Plymouth High School June 1946 at the age of 17 and attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor from 1946 to 1950, where he received a BS in Geology with a minor in mineralogy. In the summer of 1950 he worked in the oil fields in the boomtown area of Snyder, Texas. From 1950 to 1953 he served in the US Air Force, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant.

From 1954 to 1955, Chuck completed a Master of Science degree at the University of Michigan; his masters thesis included field mapping a 15 square mile area of the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains of Colorado with detailed mapping, cross sections, lithology descriptions and biography.

During this period Chuck married Rhoda Beck Castleberry on June 22, 1954 at her grandmother’s home in Chattanooga Tennessee, having met her through his sister in Ann Arbor and fallen in love.

From 1955 through 1958 Chuck was employed as an exploration field geologist for Standard Oil of California (now Chevron Corporation). During these early years of marriage, they lived in Salt Lake City and in Salinas, California before joining the many other post-war couples beginning new lives in Southern California.

In 1958 Chuck and Rhoda moved to Long Beach, giving birth to their daughter, Amy Ruth, in 1961 and finally moved to their long-term home in Cypress, Orange County, California. During this era Chuck gained his California teaching credentials and in 1958 he took up teaching as Professor of Geology at Long Beach City College, where he remained until his retirement May 1989.

After the death of Rhoda in August 2009, Chuck moved east to be near his dear daughter (now Wagner) and her family (husband John, and six grandsons, Jeremiah, Jacob, Joshua, Jonathon, Josiah, and Jesse Wagner). He lived in South Danbury, meeting new friends including his close friend Lily Ordway and his loving church family at Andover Congregational (now Andover Community) Church, in East Andover.

In the fall of 2017 Chuck, anticipating his decline in health, paid for renovations and an extension to be added to the Wagner home for an “in-law” unit where he remained until his Lord and Savior called him from this life to Himself to await the renewal of all things, the New Heaven and Earth.
Amy, John and his grandsons will remember Chuck as a man of integrity, humor, and kindness, faithful to his commitments, his wife and family, his students, and his friends.

He was a man of science with a great love of the outdoors, hunting, and fishing in his younger years. At various times he had owned plots of wilderness land in the Sierras and before that, on Sugar Island, Michigan, where he had built a cabin.

Chuck was a Christian of deep conviction who had come to faith in Christ as an adult, later serving as an elder of El Dorado Community Church (Reformed) in Cypress and still later, chairing the Mission and Action Board at Andover Congregational Church.

He’ll be remembered by those who knew him and loved him for his hugs, for his conversations, for his reasoned-out convictions. Also remembered will be how he anticipated and made pre-arrangements for all the many contingencies of life, including many reminder notes pinned up as well as hand-printed verses, some with calligraphy, as reminders of the goodness of the Lord.

As noted above, Chuck was predeceased by his beloved wife, Rhoda, of 55 years and also his parents, Felix and Elizabeth, and his sister Beth Ann Hoheisel. Surviving family members include his daughter Amy Wagner, her husband John, and their sons: Jeremiah, Jacob, Joshua, Jonathon, Josiah, Jesse, and his five great-grandchildren (from Jeremiah and his wife, Sarah).

A memorial service was scheduled for July 25 at the Andover Community Church (Anglican) in East Andover with a reception to follow outside. Reverend Bill Blomquist officiated with Deacon Kathy Winfield. The service was also streamed on social media.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Andover Community Church, PO Box 211, East Andover NH 03231. To sign an online guestbook, please visit ChadwickFuneralService.com .