Obituary of Charles W. Grout

none Charles W. Grout (Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army, retired) passed away in Olympia, Washington on January 5, 2006. He was born on April 4, 1912 to Eva White Grout and Oscar "Boxy" Grout. A graduate of Olympia High School in 1929, he was a member of the school's State Championship football team that year. He married Corinne Underwood on August 18, 1933. Not long afterward, they moved to a home on Eld Inlet, where they lived for many years. Chuck was employed by the Washington Veneer Company before volunteering for World War II duty in the United States Army. He graduated as a 2nd Lieutenant from the Officer's Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia in June of 1943. During his enlistment, he served in the Northern Solomons; the island of Luzon, where he was wounded and received the Purple Heart; the Torokina Perimeter on Bougainville; New Caledonia; and Guadalcanal. He received the Bronze Star for valor during this time. Upon his return stateside in December of 1945, he joined the Washington State National Guard and served until his retirement in 1966. He worked for the Washington State Department of Revenue until retiring in 1974, and then commenced volunteering at the VA Hospital in Tacoma. His interests included travel and passions for boating and sport fishing. He was always in search of a bigger King salmon and looking forward to the next fishing trip. Chuck was preceded in death by his second wife, Vivienne Ryan Grout; brothers, Robert O. Grout and Willis Grout; and nephew, Greg Grout. Chuck is survived by his first wife, Corinne Grout Palmer; son, David Grout (Sandy), and daughter, Gail Grout Brower Dahm, both of Olympia; nephew, Mark Grout, of Olympia; stepsons, Rick Ryan, of Tacoma, and Barry Ryan, of Spokane; three grandchildren and three step- granddaughters, Jeff Brower, of Dallas, Doug Brower (Jennifer), of Dallas, Jenny Brower Schmidt (Chris), of Olympia, Maureen Ryan, of Los Angeles, Shelley Ryan, of Tacoma, and Kari Ryan, of Montana; and great- grandchildren, Nicholas Brower, of Dallas, and Michael, Kaitlin, and Chelsea Schmidt, of Olympia. A memorial gathering will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 21, 2006, at Olympics West Retirement Inn, 929 Trosper Road S.W., Tumwater, Washington, 98512.