After a rapid three-week battle with cancer, Charles Carroll Ellingson, 70, passed away on Feb. 15, 2015 at his son’s home in Eureka, California.

Charles was born on March 4, 1944 in Glenwood, Minnesota to Carroll and Alice Ellingson. He grew up in Santa Ana, California with his brother Dave and graduated from Santa Ana High in 1962.

After high school, Charles enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard where he was first stationed out of Seattle and traveled up to the North Pole on an ice breaker named the Northwind. He was then transferred to a 44-ft rescue boat out of Winchester Bay, Ore. His rescue boat and crew were featured in a nine-page pictorial spread in the July 7, 1967 issue of Life magazine. He was the recipient of a National Defense Service Medal and a Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal. After four years of service, he was discharged in June of 1967 achieving the rank of Engineman Second Class.

Following his service in the Coast Guard, Charles intended to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. However, once the Vietnam War came to an end, experienced combat pilots filled that job market. As a result, Charles began work for Far West Services and trained as a restaurant manager, where he excelled managing multiple restaurants for several years.

In 1974, Charles married Toni Mixon and together they had one child, Todd. In 1979, Charles moved his wife and son to Eureka where they built their dream home with a ”million dollar view” amongst the redwoods, overlooking scenic pastures and Humboldt Bay. While residing in Humboldt, Charles put his restaurant expertise to work at multiple establishments, including Lazio’s Seafood Restaurant, Western Kitchen, Old Dock Café, and Paradise Ridge Café. In 1987, he opened Crosswinds Restaurant in Arcata, California, where he worked right alongside his employees to ensure the best quality and consistency of food his customers deserved. In his late 60s, he often joked that he could still outwork any of the younger employees he had on staff.

In 1991, the restaurant caught on fire after closing for the day and was shut down for most of a year. When he reopened, almost all of his employees returned to work which showed the love, respect and loyalty his staff had for him. He retired in early 2014 after 27 years of owning and operating Crosswinds.

Charles was a dedicated father, hard-working, kind man with a genuine soul. He donated over 17 gallons of blood to the local blood bank. He enjoyed going to the movies, gardening, photography and bird watching. He also loved going with his son to the race track.

Charles was preceded in death by his mother, Alice, father, Carroll, and wife, Toni. Charles is survived by his son Todd (Pam) of Eureka and his brother David of Ocean Shores, Wash. Per Charles’ wishes, no services will be held. He chose to be cremated and have his ashes spread over the ocean in front of Trinidad Head, where he will be reunited with Toni. During his fight with cancer, he remained polite and gracious to all those who cared for him. Doctors and nurses all commented on his pleasant demeanor during this difficult time. He was brave and stoic to the very end and will be deeply missed.

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The above obituary was submitted by Charles Ellingson’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.