Charles Williams AYRES

Charles William Ayres, Jr. Preceded in death by wife Shirley Ann Ayres nee Zappala Born in 1929 to Charles William Ayres, Sr. and Sylvia Jean Doyle; Brother to Helen (Marion) Gummersell, Harry Ayres, Mattie(Martha) Howard, Kenny Ayres, Sam Ayres, Lee Ayres, Sally Elstran and Nancy Podleski. Father/Father in law to Sherry (Charlet)and Richard Hickle, Dan Sr. and LaRae Ayres, Michael and Karen Ayres; Grandfather to Dan Jr. and Sandy Ayres, Ben and Brooke Siecinski, David Hickle Cody Ayres and Kayla Ayres; Great Grandfather to Cole Siecinski. Dad was retired from the Operating Engineers and the IBEW. He also spent time working with the Laborers Union of St. Louis. My Father (also known as Sonny too many in his immediate family, Charlie to everyone else) had a troubled youth. But in his later years he worked diligently to educate himself with knowledge in advanced Trigonometry and Mineralogy. One of the achievements he was most proud of was getting his private pilot license which he enjoyed immensely until his eyesight limited his ability to get recertified. One of the last great adventurers and explorers, Dad mined Uranium in the 60’s on a remote Navajo Indian reservation, worked on the Eisenhower Tunnel in Denver and he even sold gold dredges on the weekends. He was the lead surveyor constructing footings for power lines through the Rocky Mountains bringing power into - at that time - undeveloped places like Aspen, Steamboat Springs, Grand Junction, Cortez, Mesa Verde, George Town and Colorado Springs, Colorado. He worked with power line and construction companies from Juneau Alaska to the British Honduras laying footings and operating heavy construction equipment as well as running construction crews. His hobbies were repairing and selling cars as well as panning for gold but mostly his passion was casino gambling and traveling with our mother, Shirley. The two of them had adventure after adventure all across the country, side by side until Mom’s death in 1999. Dad was never the same. Throughout Dad’s life like many of us, he made mistakes and achieved success. He was unpredictable, intelligent and a man’s man in every respect. He made no excuses or apologies and you knew where he stood on all matters. He loved deeply, disciplined sternly – sometimes over zealously and lived passionately. When Dad passed, it was quietly with family around him after a long and arduous struggle with Alzheimer’s and diabetes. It marked a milestone for the many people whose lives he touched. He was a unique individual who met life on his terms. We will not see his like again. Dan Charles Ayres, Sr.

Charles Williams AYRES

July 8, 1929 - December 15, 2013