Charles Steele

Charles Dean Steele, also known as Chuck, Chucky, Uncle Chuck, Chucky Lucky, Harley Charlie, Chuck the French Meat Cutter, Uncle Chunk, Dad and Grandpa, passed away on March 23, 2021 in his sleep after a courageous 10-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 68 years young.
Chuck was born May 10, 1952 to Walter and Maybelle Steele in Winner, SD. Although he was number 11 of their 13 children, he was not forgotten amongst the crowd. In fact, he was arguably the most famous of them all. Family and friends were truly the center of his life. Family reunions and the road trips to get there were his most cherished times. If ever there was a loud eruption of laughter from a group of people, he would be at the center. No matter the company he was in, everyone was always smiling.
The family moved to Boulder in 1955 by way of two pick-up trucks. He became sole owner of Steele’s Market at 4th and Arapahoe in his early 20’s. With a lot of hard work, he turned it from a retail grocery store into Steele’s Meat Company, a thriving wholesale meat business. For decades, if you ate a hamburger at a restaurant in Boulder, it was most likely supplied by him.
His love of motorcycles started early. First in the dirt, as required by his wife until he was 40, then to the street with Harley’s and, of course, Pure Steel. He made annual trips, whether it was a family road trip, camping trip or trips (yes, plural) to the desert to ride with his buddies. Later in life, this transitioned to long Harley rides in the mountains and/or early tee times for a round of golf with friends.
To not mention football would not do him justice. He loved football, especially the CU Buffs. Tailgating with friends in the parking lot at Folsom Field was how he spent many Saturdays in the fall. In the 1980’s he had season tickets to the Bronco’s. “Under the Hang Gang” was the name he and his wife shared with fellow seat mates, which was a nod to the location of the seats at Mile High Stadium. Watching games at home or in a stadium, live or recorded, was the best way to pass time when not in the dirt, playing golf or at work.
He is survived by many including his wife of 47 years, Nancy Steele; his 3 children, Heather Lind, Christopher Steele, and Ashley Steele; 2 grandchildren, Magnus and Thea Lind; 6 of his 8 sisters, Darlene Huddle, Mary Ellen Lynass, Carol Fernandez, Shirley Flynn, Arla Stark, and Margo Rosser; and 3 of his 4 brothers: Allan Steele, Douglas Steele and Bradley Steele. He is preceded in death by sisters, Joyce Mayes and Maureen Williams, brother Tom Steele and his parents.
Mass of a Christian Burial will be at 10:00am, Thursday April 22, at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church. To help prevent the spread of Covid, we ask that while in attendance to please maintain everyday precautions, including social distancing and wearing a mask. The service will also be Live streamed on the following website:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUDwxDDc-AcUvhMSWHZmOfw?view_as=subscriber

Due to these precautions, there will be no reception following the service. We are hoping to plan a celebration of life for sometime this summer.