Charles Frederick Sommers

Charles (Charlie) Frederick Sommers of Crossville, Tennessee, was born December 23, 1941, in Nashville, Tennessee. He departed peacefully from this life on October 22, 2023, at the age of 81 at Cumberland House of Cumberland County in Crossville, where he received the best of care. One of four siblings and the only brother to three sisters, Charlie attended Issac Litton High School where he was a proud member of the marching band, playing the alto saxophone. Music was an essential part of his life. He was an accomplished pianist as a youth, preferring to play classical music with Beethoven being his favorite composer. He enlisted in the United States Air Force at age 18, serving his country as an air traffic controller for 14 years. He proudly shared stories of his service in Iceland at Keflavik Air Station and Japan at Yokota Air Base. Stateside, he served at Craig Air Force Base in Alabama and Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. Japan was his favorite country because it was there that he met and married the love of his life, Kimiyo. They celebrated 60 years of marriage this past September. After leaving the service, he attended college and obtained his associate degree in fine art at Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, Tennessee. He ventured into various vocations and finally found himself in the occupation of butcher. He worked for many years at a custom slaughterhouse and learned the skills and craft of butchering. He later worked at various grocery stores in the Nashville area and retired from Sam’s Club in Madison, Tennessee. He and his wife moved to Crossville in 2013 to be closer to family. Charlie is survived by his wife, Kimiyo Sommers, of Crossville; daughter, Katherine (Eric) Buechel of Pleasant Hill; son, Richard (Lawrence) of San Francisco; grandson, Chad (Lynsey) Crawford of Knoxville; grandson, Landon Crawford of Knoxville; grandson, George Buechel of Norfolk, VA; granddaughter, Anastasia Spencer (Brock) of Cookeville; great-grandchildren, Paul Crawford, Alton Spencer, Lydia Crawford, Andrew Crawford, and Molly Spencer; sisters, Sarah Jane Burton and Susan Henson; and special friend of the family, Lisa McDaniel. He will be greatly missed and fondly remembered, whether you called him Charles, Charlie, or Papa Charlie. He was a friend to many, often through social media, where he enjoyed nothing more than sharing a story, a joke, a word of encouragement or a video, usually of music or animals. And if he wasn’t on his computer, you could be sure to find Charlie with a book in his hand. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Doctors Without Borders or Hospice House of Cumberland County. Memorial Service will be held at Bilbrey Funeral Home on Monday, October 30, 2023, at 3:00 PM. Family will receive friends from 1:00 to 3:00 PM prior to the service. Interment will be held at East Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery on Thursday, November 9, 2023, at 2:00 PM EST.