Charles W. Cozad

Charles “Chuck” Cozad, 93, passed away peacefully in Olney, Maryland on June 4, 2025, after leading a long full life.  Chuck is survived by “the love of his life”, Mary, to whom he was married for 64 years.  He is also survived by his three children - Laura, Kathy, and Dave (Dave, Roger, Christy), eight grandchildren whom he adored, and one great-grandkid on the way. 

Chuck was born in Red Oak, Iowa on July 19,1931, and he was proud of his midwestern roots.  As a teen, he moved to Los Angeles, California. After high school, he proudly served in the Air Force, stationed in SE Asia.  He often said that serving in the military gave him direction and discipline that changed his life.  When he returned stateside, he started working at Sears & Roebuck, where he met Mary.  After getting a college degree from University Cal-Northridge, Chuck had a distinguished 32 year career as a sales manager for IBM.  Upon retiring from IBM, he reinvented himself by going back to school to learn computer programming and launched a second career writing software.   

Giving back to his community was very important to Chuck.  He was an active member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, volunteering as a lector and Arimathean and being very involved in youth athletics. In retirement, he was a founding member of the St. Brigid of Ireland ministry, which provides rent and utility assistance for those in need. He also coordinated and delivered meals for the homeless, and was a proud and active member of the Knights of Columbus.    

Chuck was really funny. He will be remembered for his sharp wit and charm, and his role as master of ceremonies at big family events.  He and Mary had lots of great travels, and his favorite trip was the nearly 50 year annual extended family beach trip to the Outer Banks.  Chuck lived by three simple and timeless principles: work hard, have fun, and put family first. He was much loved and will be missed.

A funeral service to celebrate Chuck’s life will be held on Monday, June 9, at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Silver Spring, MD.  Visitation is at 11:00am, followed by the Funeral Mass at 12:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the St. Brigid of Ireland Ministry at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Rockville, Maryland, https://stpatricksmd.org/st-brigid-of-ireland-sponsorships