Obituary of Charles V. "Chuck" Chera

Charles Vincent Chera passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on Dec 19, 2020. Born to the late Joseph and Mary (Carrano) Chera in Schenectady in 1946, Chuck was the eldest of five siblings. Chuck was a compass when it came to honesty, integrity, and speaking up for what’s right. His larger-than-life personality was shadowed only by his fierce love for his family and friends. He loved this time of year and making the holidays special for his family. He embraced the spirit of Christmas through his day-to-day living and multiple charitable organizations. Throughout the years Chuck has belonged to the Lions Club, Kiwanis Club, Knights of Columbus, the Junior Chamber of Commerce, and the Southern Saratoga Chamber of Commerce. He was an active board member of the Mother Teresa Academy, and taught religious education. He was proud to have received a key to the town of Clifton Park for his services. Perhaps most notably, Chuck founded a local chapter of Rotary, the Twin Bridges Rotary Club through which he recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award for consistent and dedicated “service above self.” More than anything, Chuck loved being surrounded by his family and friends, enjoying holidays, special events, barbecues, boating and fishing trips and even Sunday dinners with those he loved and held dear. Chuck was an alum of Bishop Gibbons High School (‘64), a proud alum of Siena College (‘68) with a BA in Business. He was a faithful longtime season ticket holder for the Siena Saints Basketball team, rarely missing a game and finding great joy in bringing along his family to cheer them on. He was a Financial Consultant – a career that brought him to Pittsburgh, PA, and then South Windsor, CT and ultimately back home to the Capital Region, settling in Clifton Park with his wife and children. He grew his own company, Coordinated Planning Services in Clifton Park. Additionally, he taught insurance and business classes at local schools. An athlete in his youth, he continued to follow his favorite sports teams – the NY Mets, NY Giants, and Siena Saints basketball, and was heavily involved with Clifton Park Baseball, Miss Shen Softball and Adirondack Magic both as a Coach and Umpire. Chuck was a communicant of Corpus Christi Church in Round Lake. Survivors include his devoted wife, Kathy, to whom he was married for 52 years; his beloved children, MaryBeth Foster, Terri Chera, Joe (Kate) Chera, and Laura (Justin) Galchin; his grandchildren, Ellie, Sarah and Jake Foster, Lilliana, Jack and Kayla Galchin and Vivienne Chera; his siblings, Margaret (Tony) Richards, John (Eileen) Chera, Joseph (Kathy) Chera and Tom (Lori) Chera as well as many nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews. Due to COVID, all funeral services will be private. There will be a Celebration of Life when it is safely possible, which will be announced on the funeral home website. Donations may be made in Chuck’s name to the Twin Bridges Rotary Foundation by going to www.twinbridgesrotary.com