Chuck passed away at his home on December 15 at age 71 after a long and brutal battle with lung cancer.
Chuck was a Philadelphia native and frequently recalled his boyhood years with enormous love growing up in Andalusia, PA with his beloved, now deceased, parents Lucinda and Charles and his three sisters: Lucinda, Eileen (Beanie) and Shari.
Chuck proudly served his country in the United States Army and when his country called, he served in Vietnam. He loved his work in insurance with a career spanning 35 years, mostly with Nationwide Insurance Company in a charming 1600s building in Langhorne, PA. He had a MS in Financial Planning.
Chuck provided his family with a wonderful life that included summers at the house on the bay, sailing, tennis clubs, golf, art and toy trains. He enjoyed hanging out with the family most of all.
Chuck is survived by his wife of 49 years, Denise Boecklen, daughter, Dena, her husband, Kelly and their sons: Ryan and Ty; daughter Elizabeth, her husband, James, and their children: Caitlin and AJ and daughter Audrey. He is also survived by his sister, Eileen, her husband, Jim, and their children and grandchildren; four of Denise’s brothers: John, Gregory, Stephen and Christopher, their wives and children, and all of the children and grandchildren of his deceased sisters: Lucinda and Shari. Denise’s parents, now deceased, loved Chuck and thought of him as the best son-in-law in all of the world. Chuck is also survived by his pet turtles, Turtleman, Petie, Charlie and Denise Turtle. He was so very proud of all of the family and loved them all.
Relatives and friends are invited to his funeral service at noon on Thursday, December 20 at Reed and Steinbach Funeral Home, 2335 Lower State Road, Doylestown, where the family will great guests from 10:30 a.m., until the time of the service. Interment will be 9 a.m., Friday, December 21 with military honors in Washington Crossing National Cemetery, 830 Highland Road, Newtown, PA 18940.
Under the direction of Chuck’s childhood neighbor, Fluehr Funeral Home in Andalusia, www.fluehrfh.com, the viewing will be held at Reed and Steinbach Funeral Home in Doylestown, https://www.reedandsteinbach.com, for the family’s convenience.
Contributions may be made in Chuck’s memory to World Vision in a fund set up to provide clean water in the developing world at https://mycause.worldvision.org/campaign/In-Memorium-Charles-Boecklen-World Vision or to: School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NAMS) at Stockton University where they are working with Wetlands Institute to protect female terrapins coming up on causeways in early summer seashore traffic to lay their eggs. Checks may be made payable to Stockton University Foundation, Stockton University Foundation, 101 Vera King Farris Drive, Galloway, NJ 08205-944 (in the memo please note: NAMS Program Support: Terrapin Project in memory of Charles F. Boecklen, III or credit card gifts to NAMS: www.stockton.edu/give. When prompted, select “direct my gift to Other”. When prompted for area of support, type “Previously established restricted fund NAMS Program Support: Terrapin Project”. When prompted, enter the gift is in memory of Charles F. Boecklen, III. Here are two links with information about the terrapins:
https://stockton.edu/coastal-research-center/project-archive/turtle-morality.html
They are not long, the weeping and the laughter,
Love and desire and hate:
I think they have no portion in us after
We pass the gate.
They are not long, the days of wine and roses:
Out of a misty dream
Our path emerges for a while, then closes
Within a dream.
(poem by Ernest Dowson, 1867-1900