I can only read a portion of his obituary. Unfortunately the link to "read complete obituary" doesn't work.
ChucktheButcher - Sad News
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Hmmm, works on mine (Windows Vista running IE). Here is the text:
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CHARLES BENJAMIN HARLAN "Charlie"
Passed away peacefully, October 19, 2015, surrounded by loving family and friends in Arlington, Va.
Charlie was born on February 5, 1985 at Sibley Hospital in Washington, DC. Charlie was a lifelong resident of Arlington and a 2003 graduate of Yorktown High School and a 2007 graduate of L'Academie de Cuisine Culinary School. He apprenticed at Fleishers Craft Butchery in Kingston, NY. Charlie was a Sous Chef and highly skilled artisan butcher at the Green Pig Bistro in Clarendon.
Charlie was not a big fan of school but was a huge fan of gaining knowledge and could always be counted on to correct us or find the answer to anything that came up. We all learned so much from him. He was a voracious reader on all subjects and had a great interest in world geography. Charlie amassed a collection of rare culinary knives that will be displayed in his honor at the Green Pig Bistro. Charlie was also a collector of loving friends and was loved by everyone he touched.
Charlie is survived by his parents, Scot and Taffy Harlan of Arlington, brother Scot of Arlington, brother Bryan of Leadville, CO., Grandparents, Jack and Norma Jean Harlan of Arlington and many, many Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and loving friends.
Family will receive visitors at the Murphy Funeral Home at 4610 (4510?) Wilson Blvd. Arlington, Va on Thursday, October 22nd, from 6 to 8 p.m. with services to be held at Murphy's on Friday, October 23rd at 11 a.m. A celebration of Charlie's life will be held at the Green Pig Bistro following the services at 1p.m. on Friday.
In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made in Charlie's name to Caron Drug Treatment Centers at: Caron.org
I was able to read it as well. Same age as me
far too soon
Thanks for posting the complete obituary David.
boomchakabowwow
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i had no idea he was that young. sad.
dang.
dang.
Marko Tsourkan
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Said news indeed. Charlie gave me a lot of valuable information on the butchering knives.
Rest in Peace..
Rest in Peace..
goatgolfer
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I sent him a PM about sharpening butcher/boning knives and he wrote me a booklet on blade shape, materials, by manufacturer and his personal evolution of additional knives and why. His insight and expression convinced me he was ~55 y.o. What I mistook is age for enthusiasm and study. He was cool on top of it. We all lost a good soul and knife partner.
The gathering at the funeral home tonight was amazing. The place was packed, and everyone seemed to have a lot of good memories of Charlie's big heart and big smile. He seemed to have touched a lot of people in his too-short life.
His father finished the knife display cabinet at the Green Pig Bistro, and it is now loaded up with his knives. I hope to see it tomorrow and to take some pictures. It looks like his collection will live on as a memorial, and will also be a great way to give exposure to many of the custom makers we all know. It's a perfect way to carry on Charlie's legacy, as he was often instrumental in helping some of the newer makers refine their offerings, and now it will continue to hopefully help them make a living.
His father finished the knife display cabinet at the Green Pig Bistro, and it is now loaded up with his knives. I hope to see it tomorrow and to take some pictures. It looks like his collection will live on as a memorial, and will also be a great way to give exposure to many of the custom makers we all know. It's a perfect way to carry on Charlie's legacy, as he was often instrumental in helping some of the newer makers refine their offerings, and now it will continue to hopefully help them make a living.
goatgolfer
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Goatwrites: Not long ago I sent Chuck a PM request for some input on which tools of the trade a real butcher used. ....If there is some value in sharing the edge(s) of a butcher/prep cook/chef/home cook based on the knifes job... well that may be an interesting forum exchange with Drinky and the Clown too.... Goat is out...
On 9/26/15 he responded as follows: ChucktheButcher responded:
"If I'm doing pack house butcher I prefer the cheaper knives. With victornox forschner being my favorite, followed by f. dick and dexter. I use them almost as desposible knives though. sharpening on a grinding wheel i get 6 months to a year out of them. The being said I have found masahiro makes some good cheap butcher knives. When I started my apprenticeship i was given a 5 in stiff boning knife, an 8 in breaking knife and a scimitar. I added a 6in upswept boning knife, a 8 in upswept breaking knife and a 6 in flexible boning knife as well. This served me fine for years before getting into more high end knives. If you're looking for slightly better quality some of the masahiros on ebay are the way to go. You need something the will stand up to 10 hrs of constant cutting."
ChucktheButchers signature:
All normal people love meat. If I went to a barbeque and there was no meat, I would say 'Yo Goober! Where's the meat?'.- Homer Simpson
On 9/26/15 he responded as follows: ChucktheButcher responded:
"If I'm doing pack house butcher I prefer the cheaper knives. With victornox forschner being my favorite, followed by f. dick and dexter. I use them almost as desposible knives though. sharpening on a grinding wheel i get 6 months to a year out of them. The being said I have found masahiro makes some good cheap butcher knives. When I started my apprenticeship i was given a 5 in stiff boning knife, an 8 in breaking knife and a scimitar. I added a 6in upswept boning knife, a 8 in upswept breaking knife and a 6 in flexible boning knife as well. This served me fine for years before getting into more high end knives. If you're looking for slightly better quality some of the masahiros on ebay are the way to go. You need something the will stand up to 10 hrs of constant cutting."
ChucktheButchers signature:
All normal people love meat. If I went to a barbeque and there was no meat, I would say 'Yo Goober! Where's the meat?'.- Homer Simpson
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Nothing so crushing as a parent having to bury their child. RIP Chuck.
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Very, very sad.
Isn't it amazing how one person can touch so many?
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So the funeral and reception were yesterday. The funeral home was packed, I would guess about 300 people. They kept bringing in additional chairs - until they ran out! The service started 20 minutes late due to the amount of people attending. This was my 3rd funeral in the past year and by far the best, weird as that may sound. I wanted to share a few of the more lighthearted moments.
The first came when a close family friend brought up Charlie's knife collection. He started out by saying that Charlie was a popular and involved member of a Japanese Knife Forum and went on to say "who knew such a thing even existed" which many people laughed at - including myself. He then goes on to mention how many of the knives are really more like works of art and had never been used. He then went on"Charlie also had a pretty large stone collection... stones that are used to sharpen knives"....."does anyone see the contradiction here." Lot's of laughter followed.
The best story was a recounting of Charlie and a group of friends going to Charlie's parents house in the Shenandoah Valley. There is a creek on the property and they all decided it would be fun to take the canoe out and shoot a bunch of fireworks from the moving canoe. Only problem was they couldn't find any paddles so they were stuck using shovels:doublethumbsup: After awhile it was decided this was too much work and maybe shovels were not great substitutes for paddles. However Charlie wanted the fun to continue so he got out the small tractor they owned and tied the canoe to the tractor with some rope - problem solved! Charlie drove the tractor around the field while his friends continued to launch the fireworks. Best of all was when they noticed the neighbor grooming her horse while looking at them with a horrified expression on her face.
Charlie's brother Scott got up and mentioned how smart his brother was, and one thing Charlie was certain of was there was no God, or afterlife, and it was a popular "topic" of debate. Scott mentioned how he wasn't so certain about this and he hoped Charlie was wrong about this one thing...closing his thoughts with "I think he's up there dealing with the fact he was wrong - the 72 virgins". Lot's of laughter by both the guys and gals.
It was also nice that a couple of people from the back of the house spoke about what a great boss he was, and that the owners of the GP was really like family to them.
The reception that followed was as would be expected awesome. Lot's more stories, lot's of interest in the knife collection, and outstanding food. Open bar and fried oysters, spring rolls, best grits and mac and cheese ever, NY strip steaks, fried whole snapper, salmon, green beans, salads, and multiple desserts. . The restaurant was closed so once the food was out the entire BOTH came out and added to the revelry. I reconnected with a few locals and had the chance to talk with Charlie's dad and brother quite a bit. It started around 1:30 and I only left at 7!!! because of another commitment, the party was still going strong. Everyone kept saying "damn Charlie would have really loved this party"
I'll end with a note about what the preacher called the "elephant in the room" - addiction. Charlie's parents wanted this discussed out in the open so I feel confident they would be okay with it being brought up here. The preacher started off with the fact that many in the room are probably filled with guilt - what more could/should they of done to help Charlie. He said "don't do it, it won't get you anywhere and it won't help Charlie". Looking forward however he said "if you know someone with an addiction always remember it's a disease and offer to help no many how many times it takes". And he hoped that anyone with addiction problems could maybe use Charlie's death as a motivating force so seek help.
Rereading this it's a bit of a sad note to end on but when someone dies at only 30 years old from an addiction it is what it is.
Yesterday was a sad but great time that I wanted to share.
Thanks for reading it,
Bill
The first came when a close family friend brought up Charlie's knife collection. He started out by saying that Charlie was a popular and involved member of a Japanese Knife Forum and went on to say "who knew such a thing even existed" which many people laughed at - including myself. He then goes on to mention how many of the knives are really more like works of art and had never been used. He then went on"Charlie also had a pretty large stone collection... stones that are used to sharpen knives"....."does anyone see the contradiction here." Lot's of laughter followed.
The best story was a recounting of Charlie and a group of friends going to Charlie's parents house in the Shenandoah Valley. There is a creek on the property and they all decided it would be fun to take the canoe out and shoot a bunch of fireworks from the moving canoe. Only problem was they couldn't find any paddles so they were stuck using shovels:doublethumbsup: After awhile it was decided this was too much work and maybe shovels were not great substitutes for paddles. However Charlie wanted the fun to continue so he got out the small tractor they owned and tied the canoe to the tractor with some rope - problem solved! Charlie drove the tractor around the field while his friends continued to launch the fireworks. Best of all was when they noticed the neighbor grooming her horse while looking at them with a horrified expression on her face.
Charlie's brother Scott got up and mentioned how smart his brother was, and one thing Charlie was certain of was there was no God, or afterlife, and it was a popular "topic" of debate. Scott mentioned how he wasn't so certain about this and he hoped Charlie was wrong about this one thing...closing his thoughts with "I think he's up there dealing with the fact he was wrong - the 72 virgins". Lot's of laughter by both the guys and gals.
It was also nice that a couple of people from the back of the house spoke about what a great boss he was, and that the owners of the GP was really like family to them.
The reception that followed was as would be expected awesome. Lot's more stories, lot's of interest in the knife collection, and outstanding food. Open bar and fried oysters, spring rolls, best grits and mac and cheese ever, NY strip steaks, fried whole snapper, salmon, green beans, salads, and multiple desserts. . The restaurant was closed so once the food was out the entire BOTH came out and added to the revelry. I reconnected with a few locals and had the chance to talk with Charlie's dad and brother quite a bit. It started around 1:30 and I only left at 7!!! because of another commitment, the party was still going strong. Everyone kept saying "damn Charlie would have really loved this party"
I'll end with a note about what the preacher called the "elephant in the room" - addiction. Charlie's parents wanted this discussed out in the open so I feel confident they would be okay with it being brought up here. The preacher started off with the fact that many in the room are probably filled with guilt - what more could/should they of done to help Charlie. He said "don't do it, it won't get you anywhere and it won't help Charlie". Looking forward however he said "if you know someone with an addiction always remember it's a disease and offer to help no many how many times it takes". And he hoped that anyone with addiction problems could maybe use Charlie's death as a motivating force so seek help.
Rereading this it's a bit of a sad note to end on but when someone dies at only 30 years old from an addiction it is what it is.
Yesterday was a sad but great time that I wanted to share.
Thanks for reading it,
Bill
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Thanks Bill
Nice write-up Bill! 7 pm?!? Guess you did not get back to work 
Not that I blame you -- the food was great, and it was hard to have to say goodbye to Charlie's dad and brother.
An amazing amount of people, especially considering Charlie's young age. I think the photo slide show, with Charlie's smile beaming over-and-over, illustrates why he touched so many people.
Not that I blame you -- the food was great, and it was hard to have to say goodbye to Charlie's dad and brother.An amazing amount of people, especially considering Charlie's young age. I think the photo slide show, with Charlie's smile beaming over-and-over, illustrates why he touched so many people.
Bill, thank you so much for sharing that with us.
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Nice write-up Bill! 7 pm?!? Guess you did not get back to work
An amazing amount of people, especially considering Charlie's young age. I think the photo slide show, with Charlie's smile beaming over-and-over, illustrates why he touched so many people.
No, I did not make it back to work, an open bar and good people to hang out with will do that:biggrin:
I know that at funerals no one should speak badly of the departed even if they might of been an a## in real life (see the movie Heathers for a funny example of this), but I've been to some funerals where you could tell maybe the person wasn't so great. Not yesterday; every story, and there were a lot of them, touched on Charlie's giving nature. And when the people that work under you are openly crying at your funeral - that speaks volumes. Going back thru his posts you can see he was always ready with a compliment or helpful advise.
HHH Knives
Senior Member
My heart goes out to his family and friends. Im gona miss Chuck.
Keith Sinclair
Senior Member
Wow such a young guy that touched a lot of people
KKF's own Bill13 is at GPB today installing a ceiling-mounted light fixture and the related circuit for the knife case. This will be combined with some in-case lighting that will be installed at a later date. Bill has graciously donated his time for this work. Thanks Bill!
When the case front is removed for the case lighting install we should be able to get some good pics of the many wonderful knives on display. In the interim, the ceiling fixture should be a huge improvement in the display lighting.
When the case front is removed for the case lighting install we should be able to get some good pics of the many wonderful knives on display. In the interim, the ceiling fixture should be a huge improvement in the display lighting.
Very kind to volunteer your time and talent Bill.
I've seen the case on FB and it was very impressive, hopefully the new pictures can be placed in this thread and his gallery page as homage to Chuck
I've seen the case on FB and it was very impressive, hopefully the new pictures can be placed in this thread and his gallery page as homage to Chuck
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Thanks for the kind words, but I must say it felt good to be doing it. Here are some before and after. The in cabinet lighting still has to go in, hopefully next week. Lighting something this tall - it's 6 feet really requires two rows of lights. In a perfect world you want the light source to be at a 30 degree angle to the wall, or cabinet in this point. We decided that would be to busy on the ceiling and once the interior lights are in it will look much better.
Don't know why they are importing sideways but I'm giving up:eyebrow:
When I go back I'm also going to try a tighter beamspread for the bottom half.
Don't know why they are importing sideways but I'm giving up:eyebrow:
When I go back I'm also going to try a tighter beamspread for the bottom half.
Looks good Bill, are you an electrician? Did you install a section of track and track heads? Are those quartz halogen lamps? Do you know what beam spread they are? They make a range of beam spreads from narrow flood to wide flood. Did you get a picture of your fixture installation? Not trying to be nosy just trying to help.
