Some people are remembered for extraordinary moments. Others are remembered because, day after day and year after year, they quietly became the kind of person everyone could count on. Charles Richard "Chuck" Alderman was one of those rare people.

Chuck, 90, of Springfield, Illinois, peacefully entered the presence of his Lord on July 23, 2026, surrounded by the love of his family.

Born on November 4, 1935, in Greenville, Illinois, Chuck was the son of Charles and Gladys (Barth) Alderman. His family lived in several communities throughout southeastern Illinois before eventually settling in Jersey County, where Chuck spent his teenage years, graduated from Jersey Community High School, and developed a lifelong love of athletics, competition, and teamwork.

He continued that passion at Shurtleff College in Alton, IL, playing football before recognizing after one semester that his calling wasn't in the classroom but with his hands. He left college to become a plumbing apprentice, beginning a career that would span more than five decades and earn him the respect of coworkers, customers, contractors, and communities throughout central Illinois.

Just as importantly, those years also brought him together with the love of his life, his high school sweetheart, Rosemary June Haynes. Their marriage became the cornerstone of everything that followed. For more than seven decades, Chuck and Rosemary shared a partnership marked by unwavering devotion, deep respect, enduring laughter, and a faith that carried them through every season of life. Together they built a home where love was demonstrated every day, leaving their children and grandchildren one of life's greatest gifts—the example of a marriage faithfully lived.

The young couple first settled in Jacksonville, IL, where Chuck honed his trade with Roach Plumbing. An opportunity eventually brought them to Petersburg Plumbing & Heating, but what began as a career move soon became something much greater.

Petersburg wasn't simply where Chuck worked. It became the community he loved, invested in, and helped shape for more than four decades.

As Operating Vice President of Petersburg Plumbing & Heating, Chuck became known not only for his knowledge of the trade but for his honesty, humility, fairness, and calm leadership. He believed a handshake meant something, that every person deserved respect, and that if a job was worth doing, it was worth doing right. Those principles earned him the trust of coworkers, contractors, customers, and friends throughout the region.

Chuck believed strong communities don't simply happen—they are built by people willing to invest in them.

That belief inspired countless hours of volunteer service with the PORTA Athletic Booster Club, where he helped lead efforts to build and improve the school's athletic facilities during the 1980s. As a former athlete, he understood that sports shape far more than scoreboards. They build character, discipline, teamwork, and lifelong friendships, and he wanted future generations to enjoy those same opportunities.

His commitment to Petersburg also included many years of service as a director of First National Bank of Petersburg, where his steady judgment, integrity, and genuine concern for people earned the confidence of fellow directors and the community he loved.

Sports, however, were never far from Chuck's heart.

An accomplished athlete in his younger years, he never lost his competitive spirit. Whether carving across a lake on water skis with fearless enthusiasm or, years later, walking a golf course with family and friends, Chuck loved to compete. But what made him special was that his competitiveness was always balanced by humility. He wanted to win—there was never any doubt about that—but he cared even more about the people beside him. He celebrated great shots, laughed at the bad ones, and understood that the friendships built during the game were always more important than the scorecard.

That was Chuck.

Competitive without arrogance.

Successful without pretense.

Respected without demanding recognition.

And kind without expecting anything in return.

If you asked Chuck what mattered most, though, none of his professional accomplishments or community involvement would have topped the list.

Family was his greatest joy.

He and Rosemary raised three sons while creating a home where faith, responsibility, generosity, laughter, and unconditional love were simply part of everyday life. Chuck didn't preach values nearly as much as he lived them. He taught that character mattered more than reputation, that hard work was honorable, that your word should mean something, and that every person deserved to be treated with dignity. Those lessons became his true legacy and continue to live on through the generations that follow him.

Perhaps more than anything else, Chuck will be remembered for the way he made people feel.

He possessed a rare and genuine gift for putting others at ease. Whether you had known him for fifty years or had just been introduced, he had a way of making you feel comfortable, welcomed, and important. He listened more than he talked. He never sought the spotlight, yet people naturally gravitated toward him because they knew they would be accepted without judgment. Chuck believed every person had value, and he treated everyone—from lifelong friends to complete strangers—with the same quiet kindness and respect.

To his family, he wasn't simply Chuck. He was Dad. He was G'Pa Chuck and ‘Pa Chuck. He was the steady hand everyone could count on, the quiet voice of wisdom around the table, the fiercest competitor on the golf course, and the first to celebrate someone else's success. His love was felt far more often in what he did than in what he said, and those who knew him best will carry that example with them for the rest of their lives.

His life reminds us that true greatness is rarely loud. It is found in ordinary faithfulness—in loving your spouse completely, showing up for your family, serving your community, keeping your word, working hard, competing with honor, treating people well, and trusting God through every season of life.

Chuck shared a close bond with his siblings throughout his life. He was preceded in death by his sisters, Sharon Alderman and Beverly Johnson, and is survived by his brother, Jerry Alderman, and his sisters, Linda Tribble and Mary Tomlin.

Chuck is survived by his beloved wife, Rosemary; his sons, Jeff, wife Cindy, their children, Natalie (fiancé Jake) and Rocky (wife Rachel); Jody, wife Julie, their sons, Ryan ( wife Cailee, proud parents of Emery and Auggie) and Nathan (wife Betsy); Shannon, wife Colleen, their children, Austin (wife Erin, proud parents of Summer) and Allie.

Although the final months of Chuck's life brought significant physical challenges, they never diminished the quiet strength, dignity, and grace with which he lived. His family finds peace knowing that his faith has become sight and that he now rests in the presence of the Savior he faithfully trusted.

He spent a lifetime becoming the kind of person everyone could count on. That is the legacy he leaves, and it is one that will continue to shape his family, his friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Celebration of Life

A Celebration of Life honoring Chuck will be held at the EverTrue Concordia Village Chapel, 4101 W. Iles Avenue, Springfield, Illinois 62711. A private family service will begin at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 13, 2026. Friends are warmly invited to join the family for a memorial time from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, people may give memorial gifts to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the Petersburg United Methodist Church Building Fund, or the EverTrue Concordia Village Employee Scholarship Fund, supporting employees as they pursue higher education and vocational training. Each reflects values that were important to Chuck throughout his life—faith, compassion, hard work, and investing in future generations.

Memorial gifts in honor of Charles "Chuck" Alderman may be made to the Concordia Village Scholarship Program. Gifts may be made online at ETLiving.org/CVGiving or mailed to Concordia Village, 4101 W. Iles Ave., Springfield, IL 62711. Please indicate the gift is in memory of Charles "Chuck" Alderman and designated for the Concordia Village Scholarship Program.

Those wishing to honor Chuck may also make memorial contributions to the Petersburg United Methodist Church Building Fund. Checks should be made payable to "Petersburg UMC Building Fund" and mailed to:

Petersburg United Methodist Church, 221 W. Jackson Street, Petersburg, IL 62675