Charles "Chuck" Robert Wert, 74, passed away November 09, 2025.  He was born in Philadelphia, PA to Woodrow Wilson and Margaret Blanche (Gemmill) Wert.  "Woody" was a Torpedoman's Mate Chief Petty Officer, Submarine Service during WWII and Margaret was a Navy Nurse, Lt. USNR.  They lived in Hawaii and Portland OR before settling in Watsonville, CA.  He graduated from Watsonville HS in 1969.

Chuck graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo CA with undergraduate and graduate degrees in Biological Sciences.  One summer he helped his dad build a log cabin style home in Mendocino CA.  He enjoyed scuba diving for ling cod and abalone.

After college, he moved to San Diego and worked for a friend with a gardening and landscaping business. This gave him life-long skills for his own landscaping, irrigation, and gardening home projects and he was always willing to share his knowledge with neighbors and friends.

While in San Diego, he traveled each Saturday with some friends to serve and minister to the poor in Tijuana Mexico, sharing food, clothes, drinking water, helping to build a modest house or water reservoir (i.e. pila-to collect and store water for everyday use).  Chuck met his future wife, Margaret, when she joined the group.  Chuck earned brownie points with his mother when she learned his girlfriend was named Margaret AND studying to be a nurse.  When Margaret shared she was struggling in her Physics class, Chuck offered to tutor her.  She compensated him with meals and they became fast friends.

In May1983, Chuck & Margaret married at Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa (Catholic Church), San Luis Obispo, CA.  They resided in San Diego continuing to serve the poor in Mexico for several years.  Chuck transitioned to teaching Biology at community colleges in the San Diego area.

When traveling by car to visit family in central or northern California, Chuck & Margaret explored many wineries in Napa Valley.  They soon developed a taste for the grape which carried over when they eventually moved to Oregon.  Chuck loved to "talk wine" sharing his enthusiasm with wine owners, tasting room pourers, other guests, friends and family or who ever would listen.  Once at an Oregon winery he was asked to be a distributor for their wines due to his knowledge base and enthusiasm.  He was honored but graciously declined.

In 1989 Chuck & Margaret moved to Pocatello ID when he began the Doctor of Arts in Biology program at Idaho State University which was designed for Biological Sciences educators.  Upon graduation, he accepted a full-time teaching position at Linn-Benton Community College, OR and in 1994, they moved to Albany, OR.

After Chuck left formal teaching, he continued to work as a State employee with the Oregon Dept of Revenue (Tax Services Unit) before retiring in 2012.  He used to say he was still teaching just in a different environment as he interacted by phone assisting taxpayers.

He planted a successful vegetable garden for over twenty years and encouraged others to do the same to have fresh, nutritious and relatively inexpensive vegetables.

He was a coin collector and member of the Albany Mid-Valley Coin Club.   He enjoyed researching foreign and domestic coins.  He offered his "grading" services without charge to friends and family to assist them in determining the value of their coin stash or from an inheritance.

Just prior to and after retirement, Chuck & Margaret traveled to Puerto Rico, Austria, Germany, Alaska including two Pilgrimages to Rome.

Chuck was a devout Catholic and practiced what he preached.  On several occasions: he was a Baptism godparent, Confirmation sponsor, taught youth ministry at several parishes and an active member of the Knights of Columbus.   He was not afraid to share and defend the Catholic faith whether it was with someone at his front door or on facebook.

Chuck is survived by his loving wife of forty-two years, Margaret, sister Kathleen of Indiana, and many cousins.

Thursday, December 11th is the recitation of the rosary at 10:30am and funeral Mass at 11am, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Albany, OR with a reception in the Church Gathering Space following the Funeral Mass.

In lieu of flowers, please consider sending a donation in his memory payable to: Knights of Columbus, Albany Council 1577, c/o  815 Broadalbin St SW, Albany, OR, 97321.

Interment at: Gethsemani Catholic Cemetery, Happy Valley, OR

RECITATION OF THE ROSARY

Thursday

December 11th, 2025

10:30 AM

St. Mary's Catholic Church

815 Broadalbin SW, Oregon 97321

FUNERAL MASS

Thursday

December 11th, 2025

11:00 AM

St. Mary's Catholic Church

815 Broadalbin SW, Oregon 97321