Charles Bruce "Chuck" Grayson, '71
Charles Bruce "Chuck" Grayson, '71, passed away on January 6, 2019 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Charles Bruce ‘Chuck,’ ‘The Shark’ Grayson, 65, Navy veteran who took great pride in serving his country
Charles “Chuck,” “The Shark” Bruce Grayson, 65, of Virginia Beach, passed away Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019, following a year of illness and eventually succumbing to multiple organ failure. His family was by his bedside, and we know he was comforted by that fact.
Chuck, or Bruce, as some knew him, was born May 14, 1953, in Berea, Ohio, to the late Kathryn and Paul Grayson. He is survived by his wife, Lynn; and six daughters, Debra Grayson, Katherine Weeks, Sabrina Brigance, Charlyn Verhagen, Caroline Martin and Elizabeth Paris. Other family members include his siblings, Carl, Rick, Bill, Bob, Sue, Ken (deceased), Bill and Doug (deceased); half-sisters, Pat and Ruth; sons-in law, David Weeks, Nate Brigance and Sean Martin; daughter-in-law, Buffie Verhagen; and his “adopted” children, Christopher and Christine Fett. His grandchildren are Ethan and Lorelei Brigance, Gracen and Isabella Gonzalez, Aiden and Toby Grayson, Jocelyn, Jordan and Annabelle Weeks and Emma and Bailey Verhagen.
Chuck loved bowling and golf, the Chicago Cubs and da Bears. He decided to leave us once the attempted second field goal on the playoff game was missed after the Eagles iced their kicker. He taught his girls how to change a tire and the oil; how to make French toast and grill hotdogs and hamburgers, the fine dining skill of preparing SLOP, how to fix a toilet, install electrical outlets and properly wind an extension cord. He let them know that he would rather they be a hooker than to date a Marine. Always keep a quarter on them to make a phone call when on a date. Don’t call him if they were picked up for drunk driving because he would let them remain in jail for the night.
Boys Town, Nebraska, was where he lived from age 13 to 17 before lying about his age and joining the U.S. Navy. He served his country with pride from September 1971 to September 1991 and was boatswain’s mate senior chief upon discharge. He worked for Military Sealift Command and then NAVAIR, where he was a ship inspector until he retired in 2015. Chuck took great pride in his years in the Navy where he positively “motivated” recruits; instructed young sailors to ask the captain for the keys to the ship so that they could get underway; go on deck to spot the equator “line” and look for the ever-evasive GU-11s.
He was a loving and strict dad who was more sensitive than people knew and cared about his children with all his heart. He was a wonderful husband who understood his wife and was able to make her laugh at herself. He was a larger than life true Santa Claus who will be deeply missed and was deeply loved.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 10, at Hollomon-Brown Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynnhaven Chapel, 3600 Virginia Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Boys Town or Vietnam Veterans of America.