SHOUMAKER, Charlie

Shoumaker, Charlie Charlie Shoumaker, 64 of Paradise Valley, AZ passed away on December 16, 2003. Charlie was born in 1939 in Tucson, AZ. He attended Tucson High School and graduated in 1958. After graduation, Charlie attended the Univer-sity of Arizona but decided to change direction after one semester. Charlie moved to Chicago, IL to begin a career in broadcasting as a studio engineer and cameraman. Six months later, Charlie was drafted into the U.S. Army and served as an M.P. for two yeas. Upon discharge, Charlie moved to Denver and returned to his career as a television cameraman at KBTV, Channel 9. He enrolled at the Univer-sity of Colorado in 1969 and graduated with a B.S. in Accounting in 1971. Upon graduating, Charlie was accepted into the Law Program at UC and graduated Juris Doctor in 1974. He became Assistant District Attorney, with an office in Golden, Colorado. Early in 1975, Combined Communications Corporation, the parent company of KBTV, offered Charlie a position as Assistant corporate Counsel. He accepted the position and was transferred to CCC company headquarters in Phoenix, AZ in the summer of 1975. Four years later, CCC merged with Gannett Corporation of Rochester, NY. In 1980, Charlie was promoted to Regional Director of Human Resources of Gannett and remained in Phoenix. In 1984, Charlie accepted a position as Senior Vice President, Human Resources at the Circle K corporation, headquartered in Phoenix, AZ. He remained at Circle K as Sr. Vice President until 1989, when he made the decision to form his own company, STAR Human Resources Group. Inc. At STAR, Charlie began to market a limited benefit, sickness and accident plan that he created. From 1989 to 2002, STAR gained momentum as alternative health insurance for part-time employees who would not become eligible for a company's major medical plan. During the same time period, Charlie began a number of other business ventures, such as Star Administrative Services, INC., AmeriWest Insurance Group, INC., Metagraphix Inc., UniCore Insurance Services and Special Markets Insurance Corporations, as well as other ventures with his son. Charlie was a member of The American Bar Association, Phoenix Country Club, St. Maria Goretti and Phoenix Elks Lodge #335. Survivors include Charlie's wife, Therese; son, Charles R. Shoumaker; daughter, Alexis M. Murphy; daughter-in-law, Tracy Shou-maker; son-in-law, Eric Murphy; mother, Ophelia Shou-maker; brother, Dr. Robert Shoumaker; sisters, Vivian Seal and Margaret Shoumaker and loving family and friends. A Memorial Rosary will be held on Friday, December 19, 2003 at 7:30 P.M. at Messinger Mortuary Chapel, 7601 E. Indian School Rd., Scottsdale, AZ. Memorial Mass will be on Saturday, December 20, 2003 at 2:00 P.M. at St. Maria Goretti Church, 6261 N. Granite Reef Rd., Scottsdale, AZ. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, ATTN: Memorial Department, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105 or Arizona State University Foundation Student Financial Aid, ATTN: Charlie Shoumaker Scholarship Fund, 64 E. Broadway, Suite #230, Tempe, AZ 85287-3208. Published in the Arizona Republic on 12/19/2003.