Charles Odell Perry
Charles Odell Perry was born in Wagoner, Okla., on Feb. 8, 1933. His parents, Carson and Lula Perry, were part of America’s Greatest Generation, and passed the qualities of that legacy on to Charles.
He was literally born in a tarpaper shack alongside the railroad. When Charles was two, his family of four teamed with a family of three and loaded all their possessions in a
Model A Ford. Together, they left the Oklahoma Dustbowl behind and struck out for the “Promised Land” of California.
The middle of three siblings, Charles and his family settled in Stockton, Calif., during World War II. It was here, in a tent revival meeting, that he met his savior, Jesus Christ, and turned his life over to Him. Charles lived there until the winter of 1951, when he finished high school a semester early and enlisted in the U.S.Navy.
After boot camp, he returned to Stockton long enough to attend commencement activities with his class at Stockton High School.
After graduation, Charles attended Navy Airman School in Jacksonville, Fla., and then Parachute Rigger “A” School in Lakehurst, N.J. He marked the successful completion of the course by jumping from a Navy plane under a chute he packed himself. While he was not stationed in Korea, Parachute Rigger Second Class Perry served in the Pacific during the Korean War.
He ended his enlisted career in Sand Point, Wash., where he fell in love with the Pacific Northwest. Returning to Stockton from the Navy, Charles move back into his parents’ home in “Okieville” and settled into civilian life. It wasn’t long, however, until his Sunday school teacher paired him up with June Parnell, who quickly became the love of his life.
The couple began dating after meeting at the church picnic. Charles and June were married on April 13, 1957, and had two children in Stockton over the next few years. After beginning college at the University of California Berkley, the family moved to Seattle, where Charles earned a bachelor’s of science in civil engineering from the University of Washington.
After doing design work in Seattle on Libby Dam for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the family moved to the area in 1970. Charles would continue working on the project directly, focusing on rerouting the railroad, which would be covered by the reservoir.
While working for the Corps of Engineers in the 1960s and 1970s, he also served temporary assignments in Vietnam, Korea and Alaska.
The time spent in Libby could not have been better for the young family. They were very involved members of Faith Bible Church and both of the sons graduated from Libby High School. Charles’ last assignment was writing the project history for the dam.
Although it was difficult separating from life-long friendships built in Libby, Charles and June moved to Saudi Arabia in 1977, where he continued his career for the Corps of Engineers working on King Khalid Military City. After that tour, he worked four years in Korea, serving as head of the Geotechnical Branch for the Far East District. Charles and June returned to Seattle, where both retired from the Corps of Engineers.
After retirement, the couple worked on other construction projects in New Mexico and Southern California. They finally settled in Liberty Lake, Wash., in 2013 to be near their sons.
This short obituary barely scratches the surface of Charles’ outstanding life. The full story is told in his memoirs: “Life and Times of an Okie Engineer: From slide rule to terabyte,” which he published in 2017.
Charles is survived by his sons and their wives: David and Bonnie Perry and Mark and Julie Perry; his elder brother, Carson Perry of Lodi, Calif.; and his grandchildren, Steven Perry, Katelyn Morris, Jonathan Perry and their families.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no funeral or graveside service is planned, but the family intends to conduct a memorial service at the Washington Veteran’s Cemetery in Medical Lake, Wash., when gatherings are permitted again.