Charles Francis Conaty

VIENNA, VIRGINIA Charles Francis Conaty, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend - passed away peacefully at his weekend home in Basye, Virginia on Thursday, April 5, 2018, following a brief struggle with PML (Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy). Chuck (aka Charley) was born on September 15, 1948, in Los Angeles, California to his parents, Charles and Katherine (Roddy), who both preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife, Rebecca. Chuck maintained a loving adult relationship with all five of his children and their spouses; Steve (Rayna), Garrett (Leanne), Gavin (Carri), Sean (Ali), and Caitlin (Xander). He had fourteen grandchildren and found being their ""Grampy"" one of the most rewarding highlights of his later years, often arriving for a visit wearing his multi-pocketed ""magic vest"" stuffed with dollar bills for them to find. He is further survived by his siblings John Conaty and Mary Dolley. He lived his early years in West Covina, CA and attended grade school at Sacred Heart School in Covina. His secondary education was completed at Don Bosco Technical Institute in Rosemead, CA in 1966 where he excelled in both his studies and track. He received an Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Southern California in 1970 and soon after began a 15-year career in sound engineering during which he designed the sound system for Paramount Pictures. Paramount Sound enjoyed the sound credits for films such as Popeye & Raiders of the Lost Ark and numerous other projects. As Vice President of the Studio division, he directed the conversion of their sound stages to video tape stages. He went on to manage telecom companies, which involved relocating his family to the UK, The Netherlands, and Spain where they enjoyed the accessible benefits of European travel. In 2002, Chuck began employment with the Department of Labor in ODEP, The Office of Disability Employment Policy, in Washington DC where he worked for the remaining 16 years of his life. He was active athletically, participating in 10Ks and triathlons. While living in California he liked that it offered him an opportunity to downhill ski in the San Gabriel Mountains in the morning and surf the waves of the Pacific Ocean that afternoon. Mostly, however, he enjoyed getting out on his bicycle for a day-long ride into the rural parts of California and while living in New York and Virginia. Chuck loved his Catholic faith and lived it well. He served on parish councils, lectored, and served the Eucharist in several of the parishes they attended. He was an avid reader of the classics and fiction alike. An excellent judge of good food, Chuck enjoyed the talents of his adult children and spouses in their cooking expertise. He didn't shy away from the kitchen stove himself and was often found serving breakfast waffles to friends and family in their ""cabin"" in the mountains of the Shenandoah Valley. We bid him farewell (until we meet again) in a Mass of Christian Burial at St. John the Beloved Catholic Church, McLean, VA on Thursday, April 12th with a gravesite ceremony and interment at the Stoney Creek Cemetery in Basye, VA. Donations may be made in his name to Our Lady of the Shenandoah mission church or a memorial Mass at a church of choice.

Charles Francis Conaty

September 15, 1948 - April 5, 2018