Charles Eugene “Chuck” Weiderhaft

January 29, 1931 – November 14, 2025

Charles Eugene (Chuck) Weiderhaft, 94, of Carmel, Indiana, passed away peacefully on November 14, 2025, with his devoted wife of 68 years, Martha, by his side—as she always was. Chuck left this earth to be with his Heavenly Father after a life well-lived.

Born January 29, 1931, in Lafayette, Indiana, Chuck was the youngest of six children born to Harry Albert Weiderhaft and Mignon Gertrude Weiderhaft. At age 17, while still in high school, he joined the Army National Guard. Though raised on a farm, Chuck often said he had no intention of spending his life doing chores morning and night. After graduating high school, he briefly worked as a millwright before hitchhiking to California with a friend. Ironically, the pair ended up finding work on a farm, the very thing he had hoped to avoid. Eventually, they earned enough money to purchase bus tickets back to Indiana.

In 1951, Chuck enrolled at Purdue University, majoring in Physical Education with plans to teach and coach. Those plans changed when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1952. After training stateside, Chuck served in South Korea until his honorable discharge in 1954. In January 1955, he used his G.I. Bill to attend Tri-State College (now Trine University) in Angola, Indiana, where he pursued engineering. He graduated in 1957 and began his career with General Dynamics in Pomona, California. That same year, he married Martha June Young, a girl he had known from back home in Indiana.

Over the next several decades, Chuck and Martha built a life together, raising a family and moving for work to Michigan, Ohio, and California, with short-term assignments in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. They retired in 1992 and spent 21 years in Boulder City, Nevada, before returning to Indiana in 2013. Chuck enjoyed golf, travel, playing cards, and cheering on college and professional sports.

Chuck is survived by his beloved wife, Martha; their three children: Sheryl Kay Weiderhaft of Yorba Linda, CA; Neil Alan Weiderhaft of Orlando, FL; and Sheila Jo Mitchell (Mark) of Myrtle Beach, SC; six grandchildren: Samuel Weiderhaft of Conway, SC; Carly Mitchell of Winston-Salem, NC; Daniel Weiderhaft of Indianapolis, IN; Casey Mitchell of Raleigh, NC; Christian Mitchell of Conway, SC; and David Weiderhaft of Anderson, IN.

Chuck lived an extraordinary 94 years, witnessing profound cultural, technological, and political changes. His family imagines him now offering his unique perspective on current events from his vantage point in Heaven. Well done, good and faithful servant. Well done, indeed.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, November 24, at 1:00 PM at Hartzler Clapper Funeral Home, located in Brookston, Indiana.