Charles Richard Mcavoy

On the afternoon of Friday, August 2, 2019, Charles Richard McAvoy passed away peacefully at his home in Forest Grove, Oregon. He had turned 86 on June 12th. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 43 years, Betty Ann Ammann December 11, 2002.
Born in Charleston, West Virginia, June 12, 1933, he was the youngest of six children born to Ellis McLaughlin McAvoy and Carolyn McIntosh. He spent his formative years in Grafton, West Virginia, home of Mother's Day. Charles, known on the East coast as Dick because of two other cousins also sharing the name Charles, graduated from Grafton High School in 1951 where he had been captain of the football team and developed a love of music and singing. He made his operatic debut at the age of 19 in a production of Verdi's La Traviata. He graduated from West Virginia University in 1955 with a degree in music education and was promptly drafted into the army dental corps for two years. Being stationed at Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Washington, led him to his future wife, Betty Ann Ammann, a Registered Nurse, who also shared the birthday of June 12th. Mac, as he came to be known on the West Coast, and Betty married early in 1959 and in November of that year, their first daughter Nancy was born. They moved to Puyallup a few years later and welcomed their second daughter, Karen, in 1965 and stayed for over 30 years.
Mac began his 30 year career with the Bethel School District by securing an elementary school teaching position at Kapowsin Elementary and a few years later was promoted to school principal. He briefly took on some other memorable duties during his tenure; Head Start being one and eventually adding Music Coordinator for the district as another. He completed a Master's Degree in Education at Pacific Lutheran University. Hiking, camping, building, woodworking, directing church choirs, playing Alto recorder with the Seattle Recorder Society and taking his family on an epic bike trip across Washington State and into Oregon were a few of the activities he enjoyed while living in Puyallup.
After retirement, Mac and Betty moved to Forest Grove Oregon to be closer to family. They quickly became involved in town mostly volunteering with the Forest Grove Library. Mac was a member of the Library Foundation and helped secure funding to build an addition to the Library. He was president of the Lion's Club 2007-2008 as well as a member of Forest Grove City Council Planning Commission in 1999. A very social person with a love of music and poetry, Mac was known around town for his songs, recitation of poems and limericks, and his jokes. He continued his love of woodworking and was always showing someone how to create or fix something. He is survived by his daughters: Nancy Otis and Karen McAvoy of Portland, OR.
A Memorial Service will be announced at a future date