Charles Edwin Stark Jr.

Charles Edwin Stark, Jr., age 91, passed away in Highlands Ranch on April 29, 2025. Born in Cleveland, Charles moved west to attend the University of Oklahoma in Norman, where he met his wife Marilyn, whom he married in 1955. He earned Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Geology from the University of Oklahoma in 1959.

Charles spent his entire career working for Conoco as an Exploration Geologist, starting just after graduation in 1959 and retiring in 1989. His career took him across the country, including stints in Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Wyoming, and Montana, before finally settling for good in Colorado. He was a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists.

As a child, Charles would often go camping and fishing with his father in the Midwest and up into Ontario. Moving to the Rocky Mountains was a perfect fit for him, where he took his children and grandchildren camping and taught them to fish, stopping only for an occasional talk on roadside geology. He was an accomplished fly fisherman and was happiest when casting in a mountain stream.

After retirement, Charles indulged his passions for travel and genealogy. Charles and Marilyn traveled the world, including trips to Greece, Central Europe, the United Kingdom, East Africa, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, China, and Japan. He traced his family roots back to Germany, Hungary, Bohemia, and Wales, and traveled to many of the places his ancestors once called home.

Charles was preceded in death by his wife Marilyn in 2024. He is survived by his daughter Barbara Redder (Don) of Casper, Wyoming, son Donald Stark (Laura) of Palo Alto, CA, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He is also survived by his sister Betty Nicol of Indianapolis, sister-in-law Betsy Kunzer of Sierra Vista, Arizona and brother-in-law Perry McAnally of Oklahoma City.

His family plans a private memorial at a later date.