| Graduation Year | Class of 1972 |
| Date of Passing | Oct 11, 2015 |
| About | Charles "Charley" Wayne Lambert left this life in the early morning of Oct. 11, 2105, in Minto. He was born in Fairbanks on April 1, 1954, to Rose Thomas and Marcus Fisk Lambert, and was raised in Fairbanks with his six siblings. Charley and Kellie met in 1978. They spent some young years together, but both went their separate ways for awhile. They found each other again and lived as husband and wife. There were many who never knew they were apart for those years in between. Charley's daughter, Jessica, meant the world to him. He loved her so much and always kept her picture with him. Last year she blessed him with a beautiful granddaughter, Aria. He was so proud; he kept pictures of his beautiful girls in his wallet and on his tablet to show anyone and everyone. Charley's career was as an Alaskan Ironworker, Local 751. He was most proud of his work on the PAC Center, as well as the Alaska Medical Native Center in Anchorage. He worked on many other buildings around the state, and if you were with him while traveling he'd point out a building he'd worked on and talk about the challenges the workers had faced putting the building together. After retiring, Charley returned to being a mechanic. Back in the day, the three Lambert brothers started an auto repair shop on Ninth Avenue. Even as Charley aged, he worked on anyone's car who asked. His rates were low, and at times he got overloaded. As his health started to decline, he tried to slow down and stopped taking jobs. Trying his best to finish what cars remained, many times it would appear there was a party at his place with all the cars in the yard. He did like to keep his traditions, having Father's Day spaghetti dinner each year, the annual Christmas Eve party, and each summer, traveling to Soldotna for fishing and spending time with his best bud, Gary Wright. In Fairbanks, he spent his summer weekends at the dirt track as a push-truck driver for Sprint Alaska at the Greater Fairbanks Racing Association. In this adventure, he met many new friends who soon became his second family. He looked forward to and truly enjoyed his race nights. Charley was a quiet man with a great sense of humor. He will be greatly missed and never forgotten. He has touched so many hearts and souls, and seems to follow in the foot-steps of his great-great-grandfather, Chief Thomas, of the Nenana/Woodriver area. This had always been a great source of pride for Charley. He wanted to carry on Athabascan traditions, and held great respect for the traditional ways. Knowing this, his wife and family are working hard to give him a traditional send off. Charley leaves behind his daughter, Jessica, and granddaughter, Aria; wife, Kellie Rieck, brother, Marc, and sister, Frances Lambert, nieces Diedri Scharf, Tishica Caro (Michael), Sonya Wilson, and nephews, Marcus L. Lambert, William and Samuel Durdik; in-laws, Ginny Rieck (Fairbanks) and George Rieck (California), as well as many, many cousins throughout the state. He was preceded in death by his father, Marcus Fisk Lambert; his mother, Rose Thomas Lambert; sisters Barbara L. Haggland, Lorraine Lambert and Caroline "Sam" Smith, and brother Ralph "Tommy" Thomas Lambert. A Fairbanks memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. today, Oct. 15, at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church. In Nenana, a potlatch will be held Friday night. Visitation, funeral service and burial will be held Saturday, Oct. 17, beginning at noon at the tribal hall in Nenana. A potlatch will follow that night. |
