Charles Cordis

Obituary of Charles Robert Cordis

Charles (Chuck) Robert Cordis III of Port Charlotte, Florida passed away at 78 on March 29th after a courageous battle with cancer. He was born November 22, 1943 in Peoria, Illinois. He graduated from East Peoria High School in 1962 and lettered in football his junior and senior years. He went on to play football at Western Illinois University and received his bachelor’s degree in industrial arts in 1967. He was a Sigma Tau fraternity brother and loved to reminisce about the crazy antics they pulled. He also played club ice hockey in 1966 and 1967. Chuck taught industrial arts and coached football and wrestling at Unity High School in Mendon, Illinois from 1967-1974. The wrestling team went to the state conference in 1970/1971. Chuck met Brenda in Quincy, Illinois in 1969, and they married in 1970. After teaching in Illinois, they decided in 1974 to try teaching in New South Wales, Australia. He taught industrial arts at Lake Illawarra High School and she taught at a local elementary school. Both daughters, Tina and Shauna, were born in Kiama, Australia. He loved football so much that he played rugby league football “down under”. He was honored in 1976 as the “most improved player”. Life in Australia was filled with many adventures, such as climbing Ayers Rock, scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, and camping among the kangaroos. They moved back to the U.S. in 1980 to be closer to their families. The weather and the water brought them to Port Charlotte, Florida. Chuck taught industrial arts at Charlotte High School for one semester before completely changing professions to be a financial advisor in 1981. His love of the stock market and his teaching experience made him a trusted, successful broker. He started his career at Paine Webber in Fort Myers and transitioned to Dean Witter. He was a branch manager at Morgan Stanley from 1986-2000. He always had the best interests of his clients in mind. After retirement, he was a private investor and enjoyed checking his stocks daily. Chuck’s hobbies included traveling, scuba diving, sailing, beer and wine making, biking, swimming, pickle ball, golf, playing cards, and became a master gardener last year. He was active in the community as a Rotarian and president of the Charlotte Harbor Water Association for several years. He and Brenda were members of the Punta Gorda Sailing Club where they created many fond memories and made a family of friends. He and Brenda traveled the world to include China, Australia, the Arctic Circle, Europe, the Galápagos Islands, the Caribbean, Africa, Vietnam, and sailed around Florida and the Bahamas on their sailboat, “Charley’s Angel”. To say the least, Chuck was multi-faceted. He was known for having a laid-back and easygoing disposition, except for when it came to money. A close friend joked about his frugality by saying he threw nickels around like manhole covers. He was an unassuming man with a dry, but kind sense of humor who was always up for a good time. Chuck knew stuff. His inquisitive mind made him a trivia expert. Chuck was a loving husband, a supportive and devoted father, and a loyal friend to many. Chuck was preceded in death by his parents Bob and Ann Cordis, and his stepmother, Verneta Holbert-Cordis. He is survived by Brenda, his wife of 51 years, two daughters, Tina Bhalla (Richard), Shauna Moore (Wayne), and grandchildren (Tristan, Abbie, Kylee, Anna, and Grayson). He will be fondly remembered by all who knew him. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
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