Charles Fredrick (Chuck) Whipple

Charles Fredrick (Chuck) Whipple, 86, passed away on Sunday, July 14, in Mountain Home. Chuck was born in Boise, Idaho on March 10, 1933 to Charles R. Whipple and Emilia Helstrom Whipple. His family moved often, as his father worked on dam construction projects for the Bureau of Reclamation. Finally locating in North Dakota, Chuck graduated from Bismarck High School in 1951. He attended the University of North Dakota for one year, and then joined the Army, where he spent most of his enlistment surveying the wilds of Alaska. Upon his discharge two years later, he reenrolled at the University and graduated with a BS in Civil Engineering in 1958.

While at the university he met his wife, Phyllis Spiller, and they were married on August 15th of the same year. Chuck went to work for the North Dakota Highway Department for five years, just as the Interstate Highway system was being built.

In 1963, the family moved to Boise, where his parents had retired. Chuck soon began working for the Idaho Transportation Department. In 1965, Chuck was transferred to Mountain Home to serve as the District 3 Resident Engineer in charge of the I-84 construction in the Mountain Home and Glenns Ferry area. One of his greatest accomplishments was overseeing the construction of the “Great Wall” near Glenns Ferry, still an engineering marvel to this day. While working for the State, he also earned a Business Degree from Boise State University. Upon his retirement from the highway department in 1984, he began developing mobile home parks and renovating houses for his rental business.

Chuck also enjoyed working for his community, serving for eight years as the local Highway District commissioner, two years on the City Planning and Zoning Board, and one term as an Elmore County Commissioner.

Even though he was a tenacious worker, Chuck still found time to have a great time doing other things. He was a member of the Gideons International and especially loved handing out New Testaments at schools or placing them in hotel rooms. He loved being a member of the Boise Gun Club and spent countless hours shooting trap with his son, Jon, in particular, as well as several grandchildren. Chuck enjoyed hunting with his father and passed on this love of hunting to his own children, especially duck and pheasant shooting. As his children grew into adults and began having children of their own, Chuck enjoyed spending time with them at Strike Reservoir or Anderson Dam water skiing or at Featherville enjoying the Boise River.

Chuck is survived by his wife, Phyllis, and four children: Cathy Moleski (Jim), sons Greg (Gayla), Jon (Sonja), and Andrew (Anna), 12 grandchildren, two great grand children, and his sister Sue Simons (Harry). His parents and an infant granddaughter preceded him in death.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to: The Gideons International,

P.O. Box 140800, Nashville, TN 37214, or to the Alzheimer’s Association, 1111 South

Orchard St, Boise, ID 83705.

A Memorial Service for Chuck will be held at the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Mountain Home, located at 3850 Airbase Road on Saturday, July 20th at 11: 00 A.M.