Charles "Chuck" Edward Brockway

Charles Edward Brockway was born in Ketchum, Idaho in the year 1936, when the town began its inevitable transition from mining and agriculture to skiing and tourism. It happened in a small house on Main Street, no doctor attending, where the restaurant in the rail car sits now. Life in Ketchum then was uncomplicated, and for Chuck consisted of school, fishing, hunting, and if any time was left, general mischief with his one sibling, Don, and miscellaneous cousins who will not be named, except Frank Sharp. Being born in the same month as Sun Valley, Chuck was destined to spend a lot of time on Ruud and Proctor Mountains, where he honed his skills sufficiently to receive a skiing award from the Sun Valley Company at the age of 5.

Chuck excelled academically at the Ketchum gradeschool, but eventually was compelled to matriculate at Hailey High. Getting to school in Hailey was no small feat for Ketchum kids – the road was two lanes of gravel and wintertime movement was hit-and-miss. We are all very glad Chuck made it at least some of the time, because Carol Smith also went to Hailey High, and when they were both 14 they became “Chuck and Carol” to everybody and eventually Mom and Dad to us kids. How a boy from the other side of Ketchum’s tracks managed to snag Carol, with her teacher mom ever-vigilant in the business classroom and her father (for a time) as the principal, remains a mystery.

By then Sun Valley had attracted more movie stars than miners, and interactions with the locals was sometimes comical. Chuck may be the only person who, while driving a 1929 Ford Model A, was flipped off by Van Johnson.

Chuck’s natural gifts were math and science, and, following in his brother’s footsteps, he was accepted to the Civil Engineering program at the University of Idaho, studying while Carol worked as a doctor’s assistant in Moscow. Chuck and Carol were married in 1958 before his senior year, and graduation ensued in 1959 along with his ROTC commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Army. Acceptance to the graduate program at the California Institute of Technology meant that he would enter the Master’s program that year, but there was a problem – he owed the government six months at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, which would begin in one year, and you can’t put the Army off. So Chuck simply completed his Master’s coursework, thesis, and oral exams in less than a year and then fulfilled his military commitment. We have been unable to determine how an ordinary human being could have done this at any school, let alone at Caltech.

The children Ann came in 1962 and Karen in 1964. He moved the family to Logan, Utah to complete his Ph.D. work and in 1965, accepted a research professorship at the University of Idaho at the Kimberly Research Center. This meant another move – the final one – to Twin Falls, Idaho, where a son Charles G. was born in 1970.

In 1995, Chuck took retirement from the U of I and slipped into Professor Emeritus status. Not being the being the retiring type, he began his Second Career as a full-time consulting engineer with his son, Charles Glenn. Together they were partners in engineering for 25 years, serving clientele throughout Idaho and surrounding states, and the firm continues today.

All those around him were graced with Chuck’s charm and genial wit. Those who knew him well were struck by his unshakeable integrity and relentlessly positive outlook in any circumstance. Along with the sanguinity of a Golden Retriever, he truly had the mind of an engineer and an encyclopedic knowledge of most everything – and a generosity to share it freely. He was a 35-year member of Twin Falls Reformed Church. More than any earthly achievement, his faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ was paramount. He was an elder and a teacher at TFRC, and became relied upon as a wise elder statesman. His commitment to his family equaled his faith commitment, and he was always the wise statesman to us kids as well.

Charles Edward Brockway is survived by his wife, Carol, his children Ann Marie (Brad) Pfau and Karen Kay (Rich) Nixon, one son, Charles Glenn (Karen) Brockway, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at Twin Falls Reformed Church at 11 am on July 19, 2025.