1941 – 2026
Charles Cory… ‘Chuck’ to all his friends, and ‘Pop’ to family, passed away peacefully in his sleep at Merrill Gardens senior living facility in Monterey CA in the early morning hours of Tuesday, March 3rd. Chuck grew up in the Pacific Northwest as a youth in Idaho and eastern Washington, his family living in Lewiston and Boise, Idaho and later Spokane Washington where he attended Gonzaga Prep HS, then Gonzaga University. Graduating with his BA in English in 1963, Chuck excelled in both academics and athletics, Magna Cum Laude in his major and starting pitcher on the Gonzaga Bulldog’s baseball team.
Chuck then entered Stanford University Law School, graduating with his JD in 1966. While in Law School Chuck met and in 1965 married JoAnne Freeman, a Univ of Oregon grad in education, and a young school teacher in Sunnyvale School District. Chuck had been in US Army ROTC at Gonzaga and following Law School fulfilled his military duty serving as an artillery instructor, completing service as a Captain at Fort Sill, Lawton, Oklahoma.
Upon returning to California, after passing the Bar, Chuck joined the Law firm of Miller, Morton, Caillart & Nevis in San Jose as a young associate, rising over the years to Senior Partner. Chuck and ‘Jo’ raised their two sons, Brian and Kevin, in Sunnyvale, then since 1975, Los Altos. To be closer to family in Salinas, they moved to Monterey in 2020 after 45 years in Los Altos.
Governor George Deukmejian appointed Chuck to the Sunnyvale Municipal Court Bench in 1990. Chuck was elevated to Superior Court, he went on to preside in rotations at Palo Alto, Sunnyvale and San Jose Superior Courts; eventually retiring from the Bench in 2011 at age 70. Chuck devoted his retirement life afterward to family, tennis and Stanford sports (as both fan and longtime season ticket holder). Chuck & Jo are remembered as a longtime tennis family. Members of Palo Alto’s Foothills Tennis & Swim Club. After retirement, Chuck spent many days watching his grandson’s Football, Basketball, Baseball games along with Track meets and Tennis Tournaments. During his time in Monterey, he enjoyed singing Karaoke, Thursday night music, watching Netflix series, games on his I Pad and all the fine dining that Carmel/Monterey has to offer.
Both sons, Brian and Kevin, eventually became Tennis pros, Brian played at Univ of Arizona, Foothill College and finished at UC Santa Barbara; and Kevin at Univ of Oregon. Brian is now the Tennis Pro at Carmel Valley TC and Chamisal TC. Kevin recently retired as Women’s Coach at UNLV.
Chuck is survived by his wife of 60 years, JoAnne, son Brian and daughter-in-law Alice of Salinas, son Kevin of Henderson, NV and grandsons Kasey (San Diego), Randy (Modesto) and Spencer (Henderson, NV), as well as by his younger sister Sallie Pat and her family of Cincinnati OH.
