Charles George Houck, Jr.

Charles George Houck Jr.
1946-2020

Charles George Houck Jr went to be with our Lord on Thursday, December 24th at 74 years old after a courageous battle of Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Nashville, TN. Charley lived an indelible life. His doctors said that he was the toughest fighter in his 70s they had ever seen. He is survived by his wife, Sue Houck, and his three children: Chad Houck (Annapolis, Maryland), Meg Mathews (Nashville, TN), and Lauren Houck (Athens, GA).

Charles Houck was born in Maryland and attended the OCS-Officer’s Candidate School in Ft. Benning, GA and went through fixed wing flight school in Ft. Rucker, Alabama. He designed interiors for the Inspector General's team and General McNamara’s helicopter at the Charlie Brown Airport in Atlanta. He went on to be a United States Army Captain. He loved serving in the Army and was stationed at Camp Casey in South Korea. His love for aviation during his time of service grew and he pursued other opportunities as a pilot

Charley had a heart for education even when his daughters were at a young age. After pursuing collegiate education, he made it one of his life’s goals to provide the best education for his daughters on St. Simons Island, GA. He helped start a small private Christian School known as Whitfield. He was one of the first fathers to help build the school which started in a small cottage home down near the Pier on St. Simons.. His love for education lives through his daughter who has continued that legacy by serving on the administration board of a small private Christian school in Nashville, TN.

If you ever met Charley, you would quickly find out about his love for aviation. At one point in his life, he was able to say that his time in the cockpit was the equivalent to three years of his life. He pursued all opportunities to be a part of aviation whether it was being a private pilot, delivering goods sold as well as selling the actual aircraft. Charley lived his life in a way where he shared his love with those he loved and was never shy to talk about what inspired him. He was a dog lover, horse whisperer and loved playing the piano.

He was a passionate soul who had his convictions and lived by them with all of his heart. He is known by his wife as a loving and compassionate husband and her best friend. They were married for 42 years until he passed away. To his son and daughters, he was a gentle father who never gave up on his kids. He loved raising them in a way in which they were prepared for life ahead and was always on the other end of the phone when we called in need. To his sister, he was a protector who was always there by her side. To anyone who met him, people would immediately describe him as someone who had a peaceful presence and a warming heart.

Charley Houck was preceded in death by his parents, Gladys and Charles Houck Sr. Charley leaves behind friends and family with joyful memories: wife Sue McElhanon Houck, son Chad Houck, daughter Meg Mathews, daughter Lauren Houck, sister Phyllis Bennet and brother-in-law David Bennet, son-in-law Ty Mathews, daughter-in-law Jen Houck, 2 nephews, 6 grandchildren

Charley Houck will have a memorial service in Nashville, TN in the Spring due to COVID. If you wish to attend the service, please email us at mmathews@godintl.org to inform us of your attendance in case anything changes due to the pandemic. Any donations can be sent to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Please visit Charles's tribute wall and leave a message with the family.