Clyde Roland Chehock

Clyde “Chuck” Chehock, 97, passed away peacefully on September 20, 2026. He was born in Mason City, Iowa, on March 7, 1929, to Kenneth and Vera Chehock.

Chuck grew up on a farm in Iowa, where his mornings often began with milking cows before heading off to school. During the Great Depression, his family was forced to sell the farm and move into town, where they operated a small market and gas station. Those early years helped shape Chuck’s practical, hardworking nature.

After graduating from high school in Plymouth, Iowa, Chuck joined the United States Air Force. He was stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base and served for nearly six years. During the Korean War, he was stationed at Yokota Air Base in Tokyo, where he and his crew flew 29 missions aboard their B-29 Superfortress. During the Cold War, he later flew on B-36 Peacemakers out of Okinawa as part of Operation Big Stick.

Following his military service, Chuck attended the University of Montana, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry. While attending school, he worked summers for the U.S. Forest Service from 1955 to 1959. After graduating, he began a full-time career with the Forest Service, working in timber management across ranger districts in Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Georgia, the Southern U.S. and Puerto Rico.

It was in Sandpoint, Idaho, that Chuck met his wife, Kathy. They married in 1971 and moved to Denver, Colorado. In 1974, they moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where Chuck continued his career in state and private forestry.

Chuck had a natural talent for solving problems and a remarkable aptitude for math and logic. In 1978, he taught himself to code on his Apple II computer. He later taught courses in software development and wrote computer programs and timber management tools for both the Forest Service and the private sector, retiring in 1984.

In 1984, Chuck and Kathy returned to Sandpoint, where Chuck designed and built a custom octagon home on their forested property in Cocolalla. He built it largely on his own, pounding every nail himself. After completing the house, he spent five summers working as a long-haul truck driver. During the winters, he enjoyed skiing with his family at Schweitzer Mountain.

In his younger years, Chuck had a true knack for training horses. He was a genuine horse whisperer, able to bring around even the most difficult horses when others could not. He loved hunting and the outdoors, had a passion for firearms, and was a phenomenal athlete who took pride in staying fit. Even well into his 90s, he maintained a regular weekly gym routine.

Chuck had a lifelong love of flying. In the summer of 1992, while working toward his private pilot’s license, he built an experimental kit plane in his garage. He eventually built a runway on the family property and spent many summers flying out of his backyard. Later, he flew his Thorpe and biplane from Sandpoint Airport, where he also stayed busy as the part-time airport FBO manager. He shared his passion for aviation with others by donating his biplane to the Sandpoint High School aviation tech program and mentoring students through the Sandpoint Young Eagles during his time as president of the EAA. Chuck continued flying well into his later years, enjoying the freedom and adventure of the skies until his early 90s.

Chuck was known for being optimistic, good-natured, and friendly, with a warm and approachable personality. His curiosity and willingness to learn stayed with him throughout his life, along with a practical mind and a knack for figuring things out. He met life with a positive outlook and a genuine enjoyment of the people around him.

He is survived by his wife, Kathy; his children, Lynda, Scott, and Joe; and his grandchildren, Brandon, Angela, and Shailo.

A memorial Mass will be held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Sandpoint on October 1, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. A lunch reception will follow the Mass.