Mr. Charles Thomas Van Goor, age 100, of Maiden, North Carolina, passed away at the Carillon Assisted Living Center in Newton on January 12, 2012. Charles was born in Amsterdam, Holland in the Netherlands on February 11, 1911 to Jacob and Martha (Waterburg) Van Goor. His father, Jacob, brought Charles and the family to the U.S. at the end of WWI. After living briefly in New York City, the Van Goors moved to a farm in upper New York state near Johnstown where Charles grew up. Charles attributed the values of his life to what he learned growing up no the farm. In later years he was an auto mechanic, joined the New York National Guard 258th Field Artillery and was in the Army prior to WW2. In 1939, he met and married Helen Josephine Kraiger. In 1944 their daughter Martha (Marty) was born and in 1946 Charlie Jr. came along. In Charles’ early career as a power house engineer he worked for the Hotel McAlpine in New York City, Mullenburg Hospital in New Jersey, Inland Rubber and Merck & Co. The last 25 years of his career Charles was Assistant Chief Power Engineer for Ciba-Geigy Corp. (now
Novartis) in Toms River, New Jersey. In 1976 Charles retired and he and Helen moved to Pumpkin Center, outside of Lincolnton, North Carolina. In 1984 Helen died of colon cancer and in 1985 he met and married Marie Martin of Maiden, NC. Charles moved to Maiden to be with Marie and built a new residence in 1978 close to Marie’s three daughters, Catherine, Phyllis and Paula. After 10 happy years together Marie died in 1996 and Charles continued living there on his own until November of 2011 when he entered the Carillon Assisted Living Center in Newton, NC.
Charles was an active church man most of his adult life. In New Jersey he was a very active member of Toms River First United Methodist Church being the Sunday School Superintendent for many years. In Maiden Charles attended Saint Matthews UCC Church where he taught Sunday School classes until 2010. It was here that Charles was given two birthday parties for being 100 years old. The first was at Christmas of 2010 so that his widely separated family could attend and then again in February of 2011 on his actual birthday. Many family and friends attended both events.
Charles is noted for being a devoted family man and faithful churchman with a quick wit and dry sense of humor. He always provided himself with being on time and knowing “Robert Rules of Order.” Charles also loved gardening since his days on the farm and still tended a small garden until 2006.
In addition to his parents (Jacob and Martha) Charles was preceded in death by his brother, Hank, sister Katherine and his sister Martha (who is buried in Lincolnton, NC). Charles is survived by his daughter, Martha (Marty) Pratt and his son Charles T. Van Goor, Jr. from his first wife Helen with five grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his second wife Marie’s step-family, Catherine Woodring, Phyllis Wilkenson and Paula Buff and 8 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Services will be held at St. Matthews UCC Church 4575 Maiden Highway in Maiden on Monday, January 16, 2012 at 3:00 pm. Interment shall be in the church cemetery next to his wife Helen. The family will receive friends from 1:30 until 2:45 pm prior to the service at the church on Monday.
Memorials may be made to St. Matthews Cemetery Fund, PO Box 739, Maiden, NC 28650, St. Matthews Benevolent Fund, PO Box 739, Maiden, NC 28650, or to Palliative Care Center and Hospice of Catawba Valley, 3975 Robinson Road, Newton, NC 28658.
