James Frederic Charlton

To meet James Frederic “Fred” Charlton — who passed away Sept. 10, 2018 — was also to never forget him. Fred lived life on his terms – and he made you aware of those terms fairly quickly.

Fred was born on July 17, 1945, to James Eldon and Margaret Mae Charlton in Seattle, Washington. He grew up in the Spokane Valley and moved to Wenatchee, where he graduated from Eastmont High School in 1965. Fred enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in August of 1965 and proudly served his county in Vietnam. Fred was honorably discharged from the U.S Air Force in 1969 with commendations.

Fred went to work as a fireman for Chelan County Fire District No. 1 and worked there until he relocated to Portland, where he worked with Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue as a fire fighter/paramedic. Fred retired from TVFR in 1998, with a total of 25 years of service.

Fred married the love of his life, Marsha Armstrong, in Portland, Oregon, on Aug. 10, 1991. Fred and Marsha spent 28 happy years together, sharing many grand adventures. Upon retirement, the couple moved to Troy, where they built and ran the Kootenai River Bed and Breakfast. The couple loved to fly fish and the fish in the river all breathed a sigh of relief when the couple moved to Arizona in 2011 to be near Marsha’s family. The couple moved to Prescott, Arizona in 2014.

Fred loved to spin vinyl records, ride his Harley, drive his hot rods and entertain family and friends. He was a gifted raconteur and enjoyed sharing his experiences with others.

He is survived by his loving wife Marsha; his mother Margaret; stepsons Mike and Riley; daughter Jeana; sisters Becky, Charlene and Connie; brother Nick; and seven grandchildren.

Fred’s rather sudden departure leaves a huge void just as big as he was. We look forward to seeing you again Fred, on the other side of the river.

Services with military honors will be presented 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, at Prescott National Cemetery in Prescott, Arizona.