Charles J. Zuber

Graveside Service:

Saturday, August 21, 2021

10:30 am

College Hill Cemetery, Lebanon, IL.

Charles J. Zuber, “Charlie” to family and “Chuck” to friends, passed away on July 23, 2021, at his home in Lebanon, IL.

He graduated from Newton High School, and Eastern Illinois University; with a bachelor’s degree, and Inter-American University in Puerto Rico with a master’s degree in education. The Air Force sent him to Texas A&M for a 12-month concentrated course of nothing but meteorology. He attended Murray State University in Kentucky, taking both additional undergraduate science classes and graduate classes in education. Going to school full and part time, he amassed credit hours equal to seven years of college in addition to the various military classes.   He was also a Freemason.

Charlie had a variety of work experience. Out of high school, he went to work at Caterpillar in Peoria, IL, but after a couple of very homesick months away on the job, he came home for a visit when a friend said “Let’s go join the Air Force”; so they did. He spent four years in the Air Force mostly working on air-born radar; a new technology for the time.  Unfortunately, the government never sent those planes to the war zone because they thought the technology might be stolen by foreign powers. Then, with the encouragement of a friend, he decided he would like to go to college. Thanks to the GI Bill, in 1956, he started the Fall semester at Eastern, where he studied pre-engineering and eventually education.

While attending physics class, (in a stadium style, seating arrangement), Charlie often liked to place his feet on the top of the chair in front of him, annoying his classmate; who in the end, became his wife, Shirley. From that first such interaction, they met, and were married shortly after, she, a junior, and he, a sophomore. After they married, they became house parents to 40 students, at a private residence for the College. They cleaned their messes, bathrooms, and kept the house standing, all to give them a place to stay at the cost of one student instead of two.  After graduating, they both taught high school at Cave in Rock, IL, on the Ohio River.

Although he enjoyed teaching, Charlie often missed his time in the military, so he applied to Officer Candidate School and was accepted. After his commission, he was sent to Texas A&M. Charlie spent 16 years as a meteorologist, sometimes at a base weather detachment. For three years, he flew with and instructed Hurricane Hunters in Puerto Rico.  Charlie then became head of the Tropical Weather School at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, IL. Still thirsty for more knowledge, Charlie later got into computers at ETAC, studying weather strategy as it affected us and our world.

After his military retirement, Charlie went back to teaching High School Science.   He ultimately decided to leave teaching, when a student threatened to put a contract out to burn his house down.  With four kids at home, he quit teaching out of a safety concern for his family.  His then went to work with PN Hirsch and Emerson Motors as a computer programmer. Charlie had other seasonal and part time jobs at Pittsburg Plate Glass, two sweet corn canning factories, and spent ten years in retail sales, in the Hardware Department of Sears, then taught computers for a junior college.

Charlie liked his variety of work, but his love was for his family. An easy going, kind and deeply religious man, he will be dearly missed.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Bernadette Zuber; sisters, Mary Ann Zuber, Patricia Zuber Gassman; brothers-in-law, Henry Gassman, Jim Schwartz; sister-in-law, Linda Basham Zuber; nephew, Chris Zuber.

Charlie is survived by his wife of 63 years, Shirley (nee Crow) Zuber; three sons, Kelley (Rachel Logan) Zuber, of Lebanon, IL, Karl (Karen Sweeney) Zuber, of Wentzville, MO, Ken (Beth Goldman) Zuber, of Buffalo Grove, IL; daughter, Kia Zuber, of Chicago, IL; seven wonderful grandchildren, Laney and Kalen Zuber, of Lebanon, IL, Christian and Faith Zuber of Wentzville, MO, Sidney, Hailee, and Joanna Zuber, of Buffalo Grove, IL; siblings, Sam Zuber, Gene (Bertie) Zuber, Ceil (Joe) Shelley, Vincent (June) Zuber, Gloria Zuber Schwartz; numerous nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be made to St. Matthew Methodist Church in Belleville, IL. or Heartland Hospice.

Graveside Service:  Saturday, August 21, 2021, 10:30 am, College Hill Cemetery, Lebanon, IL.

Meridith Funeral Home, Lebanon, IL.