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Charles Romaine Van Paepeghem passed away from natural causes in Centralia on Feb. 5, 2026, at 97 years young. Charles was born Nov. 3, 1928, in Monrovia, California, and spent his youth working on his family’s dairy farm with his five siblings. He survived being gored by a bull when he was 19, recovering and meeting the love of his life, Virginia Rodgers. They married in 1948 and had four children, moving from California to Washington state in 1968.
Charles worked for Palmers Lumber as a carpenter, Sterling Bank in maintenance, and he and his wife both managed the St. Helens Apartments before his retirement. His hobbies included building antique replica black powder guns and gardening.
Charles is survived by his son, Kevin; grandchildren Matthew Van Paepeghem, Chandra Price and Jessica Deschler; and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Virginia, and three of his children, Steven, Leta and Chris.
We are grateful for the loving care provided by Sharon Care in his last year of life. He will be deeply missed.
