Charles E. Morck

Charles E. Morck passed away in the early morning hours of Feb. 9, 2023, at Tender Nest Assisted Living in Laurel. He was 89. His health had been in decline since he sustained a severe broken leg, requiring extensive surgery in January 2021. This was complicated by the gradual onset of dementia.

Chuck, as he was known to his family and many friends, was born in Plentywood on Sept. 23, 1933, to Frederik Morck and Adeline Morck (Ordahl). Chuck was the youngest of four brothers and the second son of Adeline, Frederik’s second wife.

Chuck grew up in Plentywood and enjoyed the many outdoor activities the area offered. Chuck became an excellent multisport athlete, excelling in basketball, football and baseball. He graduated from Plentywood High School in 1951.

He had multiple scholarship opportunities to play college basketball. Chuck being Chuck, he turned them all down, choosing to pursue his own path, wherever that might lead him. He worked for the Great Northern Bridge and Trestle crew for a time. He attended Montana State University for one year. He then decided to follow his brother Neil’s lead and joined the Air Force during the Korean Conflict in 1952. Chuck was trained as an air traffic controller and was stationed in Okinawa, as well as several locations stateside.

After his discharge following four years of service, Chuck re-enrolled at MSU. He graduated with a degree in business.

In 1957, Chuck began working as a civilian air traffic controller for the FAA. After being assigned initially to Billings, he was transferred to a remote location with the FAA. Chuck decided a career change was necessary. Thus began his 20-year sales career. He worked for Union Carbide until the early 1970s and traveled all over the west. He then returned to Billings and began working for Shasta Beverages into the early 1980s.

During his years on the road, Chuck’s lifelong philosophy of frugality really took hold. Chuck was fond of quoting the Thoreau mantra “simplify, simplify, simplify.” He sought to keep his life as simple and basic as possible.

Chuck became a keen stock market investor, constantly seeking to increase his “poke,” as he called it. After years of investing, Chuck was confident that he could sustain himself solely through his investing. In 1984, Chuck freed himself from the “tyranny of work” and never looked back.

That same year, he bought the most basic Chevrolet half-ton pickup he could find and kept it the rest of his driving life. A few years later, he purchased a brand new home in Billings, built to his minimalist requirements. He fastidiously maintained it for the rest of the time he lived there. Chuck eschewed many modern conveniences as being unnecessary. No dishwasher, no air conditioning. At one point, he even sought to give up his telephone when the bill went up. His brother Neil convinced him that it wasn’t safe for someone his age not to have a telephone.

Chuck was an avid tennis player for many years, until his knees eventually betrayed him. He also loved the Pari-Mutual Horse Races at the Metra. Over many years, Chuck met a cadre of friends at the races, who came to rely on his betting insight.

Chuck valued his independence above all else. As such, he never married, although he sometimes wistfully recalled that he had opportunities and wondered if marriage might have been a better path.

Beginning in his mid-’70s, Chuck had a series of broken leg and hip injuries that all required surgical intervention. Each broken bone robbed him of a little more of his precious independence and mobility. A broken leg in January 2021 required nearly five hours of surgery to repair. In the aftermath, Chuck was no longer able to safely live on his own. He moved to Tender Nest in Laurel in March of 2021.

Chuck was a jovial, sometimes cantankerous, and remarkably intelligent man. He had a rich tapestry of stories from his broad experiences in life.

Chuck was preceded in death by his parents; half-brothers Gerald and Grant Morck; and his brother Neil Morck. He is survived by many nieces and nephews.

Thank you to the staff at Tender Nest in Laurel.  You helped give him a comfortable and safe couple of years.

A small family graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 24, at Yellowstone National Cemetery in Laurel. A memorial service will follow at 12 noon on Friday, at Michelotti-Sawyers Mortuary, 1001 Alderson Ave.

In lieu of flowers or donations, please consider starting a savings plan for a young family member.