Monday, October 1st, 1951 - Tuesday, April 12th, 2022
A Celebration of Life for Charles “Charley” Bittle, Sr., age 70, of Enid, will be 11:00 am, Monday, April 18, 2022 at Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home with burial following in Enid Cemetery with honors presented by the Enid Police Honor Guard. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 6:00 to 7:00 pm Saturday, April 16. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home.
Charley was born in Enid, OK on October 1, 1951, and passed away on April 12, 2022. He was adopted by Charley and Lucille (Hamilton) Bittle when he was 3 days old. He was their only child and has lived in Enid his entire life. Charley attended one semester of college at Northwestern in Alva, OK where he met the love of his life, Marty Stagner. Charley left college at the end of the semester to go work at Vance Air Force Base and their romance continued. They married on June 6, 1970, in Fowler, Kansas. They moved to Enid where they made their home and raised two children. Charley loved farming and at the age of 16, he worked summers for a harvest crew, driving combines and trucks across the country. He continued farming with his dad, harvesting his own wheat with his wife and children in tow. He was happiest wearing his pearl snap cowboy shirts, cowboy boots, cutting wheat, tractor plowing, and surprising his children with a rescued baby bunny in his shirt pocket. He loved the great outdoors, and was always up for an adventure in fishing, hunting, camping and hiking. Charley worked at Vance Air Force Base on the flight line for 3 ½ years. He finally became old enough to join the Enid Police Department in 1973, fulfilling a boyhood dream. He worked at the EPD for 21 years and during that time, became the very first K-9 unit with his beloved German Shepherd, “VW”. He became a field training officer with infamously high standards. He was known for his frequent pranks on the “rookies!” He retired from the Enid Police Department in October 1994. Charley and his wife Marty loved to travel; their travels took them all over the US sharing the experiences with their children. Even after being confined to a wheelchair, they logged over 365,000 miles from 1998 to the present. They made numerous trips to Arizona and Nebraska. They frequently visited a favorite campsite, Big Meadows in Colorado, beginning when their kids were babies through the present. Their longest trip took them to Tacoma, Washington totaling over 4,000 miles. During that trip, they followed much of the Oregon Trail and Marty took many pictures so her students could see actual photos of the Oregon Trail landmarks.
Charley Sr. is survived by his wife, Marty of 51 years; his children; April Bittle Rodriguez, and husband Danny; Charley Bittle Jr., and wife Shandy. He is also survived by 5 granddaughters and one grandson, Danielle Reiley (Shane), Alaina Rodriguez (Seth), and Callen Rodriguez (Cole); Kathleen, Lillian, and Levi Bittle. In addition, he is survived by 2 great grandsons, Carter Daniel and Avery Charles Reiley. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charley and Lucille Bittle, his father and mother-in-law, Levi and June Stagner, and his great grandson, Jace Reiley. Charley’s family meant everything to him. The grands always said they could ask Papa for anything and if it was in his power to get it, they got it! One granddaughter warned her parents as they were leaving for work, Papa and Mimi are taking us shopping. We will be spoiled rotten. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.
Memorial contributions can be made in Charley’s name to the Enid Police Department K9 Unit, with Ladusau-Evans serving as custodian of the funds.
Condolences may be made to the family online at www.LadusauEvans.com. Ladusau-Evans has been serving the families of the Enid Community and surrounding areas for over 40 years with compassionate service and dedication. They provide families with an open door policy. Feel free to contact them 24 hours a day. Visitation Hours: 8:00 am – 9:00 pm daily, 2800 N. Van Buren, Enid, OK 73703. Call: (580) 233-1400.
Obituaries are posted, in part, due to the generosity of The Commons.
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