Longtime Oregon AFSCME officer Chuck Moffitt died in his sleep of natural causes Feb. 4 at the age of 66. He and his wife Robin Mariani-Moffitt were vacationing near Cancun, Mexico, celebrating their 18th wedding anniversary.
After retiring in 2008 following 22 years as an accountant for the City of Portland, Moffitt became active in the Oregon AFSCME retirees organization, serving as president of the Portland chapter and vice president of the state chapter.
While at the City, Moffitt served as steward, executive board officer and vice president of AFSCME Local 189, the city government’s largest union. He also served as treasurer of Oregon AFSCME, the public sector union’s state-level council.
Union friends remember him as a skilled parliamentarian who kept meetings on track. Moffitt stood up for what he believed, fought for the underdog, and didn’t like management bullies. In his free time, Moffitt was active in the American Legion and the Elks Club, and was president of Portland Bowling Association.
Charles E. Moffitt was born in Portland, Oct. 5, 1952, the son of a longshore worker. He graduated from Beaverton High School and enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served from 1971 to 1984, spending the last five years as an chemical weapons instructor at Fort Lewis, Washington. While in the Army, he attended college, and earned a bachelors degree in accounting at St. Martin’s University.
He is survived by his wife Robin Mariani-Moffitt, a retired City of Portland 911 dispatcher and fellow Local 189 officer; and three daughters from a previous marriage: Ali Blanchard, Juli Moffitt, and Tori Smythe.
A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Feb 19 at Holman’s Funeral home 2610 SE Hawthorne Blvd. That will be preceded by a viewing 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 18.
