Eugene Graeve

Eugene Charles "Chuck" Graeve Jr., an amazing husband, dad, papa, brother, and friend, peacefully left this world on September 2, 2023, surrounded by his family on his little piece of heaven in Honey Creek, Iowa. He was born May 4, 1956, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Cecilia and Eugene Charles Graeve Sr. He attended Holy Family and St. Albert Catholic schools and remained close with several of his childhood friends. He worked for Farmland Industries, Doll Distributing, and YRC Freight, retiring in 2018.

Chuck led a full life and always made time for the things he enjoyed. He owned several Harley Davidson motorcycles and experienced numerous trips on them. He attended the Sturgis motorcycle rally for 26 years, always riding his motorcycle to and from (no trailer for this guy). His ideal winter vacation was drinking rum in Jamaica, where he was fondly referred to as a Jamerican.

Chuck loved mowing lawns, planting trees, and watching his garden grow. He started a lawn service with his son, Coby, following a tradition his father had started. He had several tattoos and always looked forward to the next one. They all told a bit of his story. He truly appreciated the simple things in life and will be remembered for his gentle demeanor.

Chuck married Cathy Suden in 1979 and they celebrated 44 years together this last spring. They have two sons, Eugene Charles III (Charlie) and Coby Daniel. He was blessed with a wonderful daughter-in-law and three grandchildren who were the light of his life. Chuck was reluctantly thrown into the world of dog rescue by his wife and even though he complained a bit, he never met a dog he didn't love. Many dogs passed through our door and always won his heart. His faithful dog, Luna, remained by his side until the very end. He lived by his favorite quote, "It's not the destination; it's the journey," and an amazing journey it has been.

On July 22, a pre-funeral celebration was held to honor Chuck, and 250 family and friends attended. Live music, great food, and cold beer made the occasion a perfect way to say goodbye to all those he loved so much. A wonderful send off for an incredible guy.

Chuck is preceded in death by his parents, Eugene Charles Sr. and Cecilia Graeve, in-laws Melvin and Anne Suden, brothers-in-law Rod Hedrick and William Suden, and sister-in-law Peggy Suden. He is survived by his loving wife, Cathy, sons Eugene Charles III (Maggie) and Coby Daniel, and grandchildren Mia, Eugene Charles IV (Egen), and Letty.

Chuck is survived by siblings Patricia (David) Hajek, Deb (Monte) Ohara, Kim Hedrick, Brian Graeve, Rob Graeve, and Molly (Tim) Simon. He is also survived by in-laws Ron (Robin) Suden, Dan Suden, Tom Suden, Craig Suden, Ann (JJ) Marsh, Mariann (Casey) Hiderbrand, Steve (Natalie) Suden, along with 17 nieces and nephews.

A private family funeral and burial are planned. Memorials are suggested to the following: https://www.pottconservation.com/support/donate/ Donors will just want to select "Eugene Graeve Memorial Fund" from the Category drop-down menu to ensure their dollars are directed accordingly.

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to our hospice nurses John and Taylor. You were both amazing and we will never forget your kindness. So happy we had you both by our side for Chuck's final journey.