Charles Thomas Doherty, 93, of Knoxville, Tennessee, has packed up his shillelagh and begun celebrating Christmas early with his beloved late wife, Sydnee Smith Doherty and all the saints. Our favorite leprechaun passed away quickly Friday, Dec. 4, 2020, before the devil even knew he was gone.
Chuck, as his friends and family would call him, was born in Detroit, Michigan on March 7, 1927 to Thomas Henry and Frances McEvoy Doherty. As a young man, he attended the Henry Ford Trade School in Detroit before enlisting in the Army. As a WW II Army veteran, he served as an airplane and engine mechanic from 1944 until his honorable discharge in 1947. Corporal Doherty was awarded the Victory Medal and the Army of Occupation Medal for serving in Germany. He later attended the University of Detroit and graduated in 1955 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
It was during his college years that he met the love of his life, Sydnee, who was a nursing student at Mercy College. Chuck and Syd married on Oct. 18, 1958 in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. Together they raised seven children, the first six in Florida. Later when they moved to Tennessee in 1970 where their last child, Rachael was born. Prior to moving his family to Tennessee, Chuck worked at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on the Mercury and Gemini programs as an engineer in the failure analysis lab. Long after leaving NASA, he held a life long passion for space flight exploration and fostered this interest in his children and grandchildren.
Chuck has been retired since the late 1980's from TVA and throughout all his life enjoyed driving across the country, hiking, taking pictures, building bonfires and being outdoors in general. Closer to home he enjoyed bee keeping, singing in the choir at Holy Ghost Catholic Church, gardening and tending his small vineyard and various nut and fruit trees. He most enjoyed the road trips to see family and to antique auctions with Sydnee. He was a dedicated, adoring, hard-working husband and was there at her beck and call to load up the van and stock the antique booth whenever she needed it. Chuck and Syd were avid fans of the Smokies baseball team and occupied the stands over many seasons. The antique booths in Pigeon Forge, the Smokies team, their grand kids' games and band performances, and the visiting of distant relatives and lifelong friends kept them on the road together and enjoying life in their retirement years.
Chuck is preceded in death by Sydnee, his parents, his brother and sister-in law William and Lorraine Doherty, his sister and brother-in-law Joan and Russ Gagne, his brother-in-law Robert Sock and his nephew Mike Doherty. Chuck has now finished his journey and is home raising pints and celebrating with them all including countless other friends, relatives and his country cousins.
He is survived by his sweet sister, Kathleen Sock. He is also survived by two sons, Shawn Doherty, and Brian Doherty with wife Jane; five daughters, Cheryl Goins and husband Roger, Kathleen Paddock and husband Eddie, Erin Brown and husband Jim, Bridget Hardee with husband Tony, Rachael Castelloe with husband Greg; twelve grandchildren Adam Wilburn, Kaitlyn Moriarty with husband Daniel, Jacob Paddock, Kirsten Guerra with husband Chris, Maren Hodgins, Benjamin Paddock, Meghan Doherty, Morgan Doherty, Kathryn Doherty, Connor Hardee, Nathan Castelloe, and Sydnee Castelloe.
There will be a call at convenience on Wednesday, December 9, 2020 from 10:00am until 4:30pm at Gentry Griffey Funeral Chapel, 5301 Fountain Road in Knoxville. The funeral mass will be held at Knoxville's Holy Ghost Catholic Church, 1041 N. Central Street at 12:00noon on Friday, December 11, 2020. Interment will be following the Mass at 2:00 pm at Greenwood Cemetery, 3500 Tazewell Pike in Knoxville. Gentry Griffey Funeral Chapel is honored to serve the Doherty family and invites you to view and sign the online registry at www.gentrygriffey.com.
Call At Convenience
Gentry Griffey Funeral Chapel
5301 Fountain Road Knoxville, TN, United States 37918
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Funeral Mass
Holy Ghost Catholic Church
1041 N. Central Street Knoxville, TN, United States 37917
12:00 PM
Interment
Greenwood Cemetery
3500 Tazewell Pike Knoxville, TN, United States 37918
2:00 PM
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