Clark C. Soeldner of Colorado Springs, CO

 

On Tuesday, October 8th, 2019, Clark “Chuck” Soeldner, loving father, brother, grandfather, and friend passed away at the age of 75.

Chuck was born on February 16th, 1944, in Boston, MA, to A. Warren and Mary (Atkinson) Soeldner. He served in the US Air Force for twenty-four years, followed by a twenty-seven-year career with Global Credit Union overseas before retiring to Colorado Springs to spend time with family and friends. On December 6th, 1964, he married Demetra Mitsi Eftichidou. They raised one son, Warren.

Chuck had a passion for traveling and walking and managed to combine both – globetrotting all over the world to participate in organized walks and Volksmarches. From Europe to Australia, South America to Asia, North America to Africa – Chuck logged walks in China, Norway, New Zealand, Australia, Italy, Germany, India, to name but a few of the dozens of countries he visited. He was booked to travel to Antarctica in January to log his seventh continent. Chuck was a member of the Internationaler Volkssportverband (IVV), the Federazione Italiana Amatori Sport Per Tutti (FIASP), and the American Volkssport Association (AVA), as well as an active member of local clubs wherever he lived. On any given day he could be found pacing off a new walk on the front range, run-walking three thousand meters up in the alps, or just keeping others company as they walked his favored Pikes Peak Greenway Trail. Always recognizable by his bright shirts, floppy hats, and mutton chops, he would strike up a conversation in any country and was known by many as a great friend. Chuck was also an avid train buff, never missing an opportunity to snap a photo of a locomotive for his collection, enjoy a scenic train ride, or add new rolling stock to his beloved N-scale Railroad.

Chuck was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his son Warren, his sister Carol, and several cousins, granddaughters and great-grandchildren.

A committal service will be held on Friday, November 29th, 2019 at Pikes Peak National Cemetery at 3 p.m. Donations in memory of Chuck may be made to the Springs Rescue Mission and the National Parks Conservation Association.

The Colorado Springs Walking Club will sponsor a 5 km walk in Chuck’s memory, starting at the Colorado Springs Downtown YMCA at 9 a.m. on November 29th, 2019.

On December 1st, 2019, there will be a memorial 5 and 10 km walk in the town of Belfiore, Italy to honor the “run-walkers” who passed away this year. The Aviano Road Runners Club will all be there in Chuck’s memory and to add his name to the monument wall.