Jul 16, 2019

Charles R. Rush Sr., 83 years, 11 months, and 361 days old, of Eighty Four, died Thursday, July 11, 2019, in North Strabane Retirement Village, with his wife by his side.

He was born July 15, 1935, in Washington, a son of the late Randolph J. Rush Sr. and Edra A. Welsh Rush.

Charles was a proud U.S. Marine, having served his country during the Korean Conflict from 1953 to 1956. He continued his service in the reserves and received an honorable discharge in 1961. While living in California, he lived in Barstow and Fresno and worked at the Naval Air Station Lemoore.

Upon his return to Pennsylvania, he became a psychiatric aid at Mayview State Hospital, from where he retired. He was elected for three six-year terms as constable of Somerset Township, commencing in 1997.

Mr. Rush was a true outdoorsman. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, riding his motorcycle and camping with his wife. He was also a very accomplished skydiver, having completed over 600 jumps. Some of his many jumps were completed at night using flares. He also enjoyed war movies and Westerns, especially those with John Wayne in them. His nickname was “Duke.”

He was a lifetime member of the Arden Athletic Club and the Keystone Progressive Association, where he enjoyed making corn on the cob at the annual picnics. He was also a life long member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 927 of Washington, and Anawana Hunting and Fishing Club.

In his early years, he won the Pittsburgh Press Junior Merchant Supersalesman and the Washington Reporter Marbles Tournament School Champion awards.

On August 12, 1988, in Winchester, Va., he married his wife, Donna, who survives.

Also surviving are three sons, Charles R. Rush II, Jesse H. Rush and Shane Rush; a brother, Edward A. Rush of Merrill, Ore.; a sister-in-law, Mary Louise (Stephen Downey) Mohlke of Rochester, Minn.; numerous grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Friends will be received from 1 to 3 and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday in Hummell and Jones Funeral Home, 420 Locust Avenue, Washington, Thomas W. Hummell, supervisor, Douglas M. Jones, director, where services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, July 18, with the Rev. John Dykstra officiating. Interment will follow in National Cemetery of the Alleghenies, where military honors will be afforded by Edwin Scott Linton Post 175 of the American Legion and the U.S. Marine Corps. Condolences may be expressed at www.hummellandjones.com.