Charles "Chuck" Cotteleer, a man who taught us all the true meaning of resilience, humor, and the correct way to reboot a computer, has logged off for the final time on November 4, 2024. Born on March 21, 1941, in the Windy City of Chicago, IL, Chuck relocated to Virginia Beach five years ago, where he found a fondness for the ocean, a distaste for seagulls, and a community that will forever remember his larger-than-life personality.

Chuck, a widower and a proud retired data processor, spent his life zipping through the fast lanes of the information highway, yet always had time for his true passion – his family. He was a loving father of Karen Swaney and Lynn Tucker, and a doting grandfather to David Cotteleer, Tracy Swaney, Grant Tucker, and Gavin Tucker. Following his retirement, he replaced his keyboard with a leash, spending his days with his beautiful golden retriever, Dory, who he adored almost as much as his old Windows 95.

As the venerable Dr. Seuss once said, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” This was a quote that embodied Chuck’s philosophy of life and is one that his family and friends will continue to live by. He was a man of many contrasts – he would hold the door open for you, but not without cracking a joke about your age; he was thoughtful, but never missed an opportunity to tell you how he defeated you in the latest game of Scrabble. He is preceded in death by his father, Francis Cotteleer, his mother, Virginia Cotteleer, and his son, Kevin Cotteleer. We can only imagine the uproarious reunion that's happening on the other side.

We are sad to see you go, Chuck, but we know that wherever you are, you're probably making someone laugh. To keep his memory alive, we encourage all who knew and loved Chuck to share their stories, memories, and pictures on his memorial page. Because as Chuck always said, "The only thing better than a good laugh is sharing one with others."