116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Charles Edward Willits Jr.
CHARLES EDWARD WILLITS JR.
Cedar Rapids
Charles Edward Willits Jr., 80, of Placerville, Calif., and formerly of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died Friday, April 13, 2018, in Placerville. Prvate services will be held at a later time.
He is survived by his children, Donna, Cheryl, Wendy and Terri; stepchildren, David, Augusta and Andrew; sister, Karen Sindlinger, and her five children; 12 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Karen, who was the love of his life; parents, Charles "Brud" Willits and Florence (Svoboda) Fernandez; stepparents, Helen Willits and Paul Fernandez; and an infant daughter.
Born in Cedar Rapids on July 3, 1937, Chuck served in the U.S. Army and worked as a teacher and a draftsman before his retirement. Throughout his life, Chuck lived in Texas, Iowa, Alaska, Michigan and California. He was a fan of auto racing and loved animals and photography.
Daily Newsletters