Chuck Maddox (center) with astronauts Charlie Duke and Wally Schirra, 2007. CPT Schirra also passed away in May 2007.
Farewell, Chuck. Good Luck and Godspeed.
Chuck Maddox passed from this Earth on May 12, 2008 at his home in St. Charles, Illinois. This website is an attempt to archive and preserve some of his writings and the contents of the vast and invaluable webpages he created.
Chuck had many hobbies and interests, but I knew him best through the hobby of watch collecting. His writings and contributions to the hobby were of such a caliber that they changed and advanced the entire hobby itself.
Though he did not start collecting watches until 1999, his dedication to the hobby was such that in just a few short years he became one of the field's foremost experts especially regarding vintage Omega and Heuer chronographs. He could discuss and sometimes even correct historians from factory museums, and show his work to prove his point. In 2007 during the Antiquorum "Omegamania" thematic auction of Omega watches in Switzerland, many listing descriptions featured what might otherwise have seemed like curious notations like "So-called 'Darth Vader'" and "So-called 'Jedi'". But those who knew Chuck knew the secret: Chuck's choices of themes from science fiction — another of his interests — as his own informal nicknames had gained wider and wider acceptance until they were even being used in the highest circles of the international trade. And not only did his works serve as an unmatched, invaluable reference but just as importantly they inspired others to create their own works while striving to emulate the depth, detail, and quality of his work.
Among the greatest things about Chuck was that he was always ready to share of his time and his knowledge. He would readily answer online inquiries about the most esoteric details of watch colleting from people in far-away places he might never meet. He posted voluminous responses to inquiries in forums that that were full of fact, detail, and often humor that would interest and educate even those who might not otherwise have even had interest in the question. He wrote articles so detailed and complete with his famous scholarly thoroughness that often quoting one of them could promptly end debate.
With his self-imposed dedication to perfection in the barest minutiae of detail, web publishing became his preferred medium. Though Chuck was published in print a few times, he preferred to publish online as it allowed him to go back to correct and supplement his work as needed and continue to bring it ever closer to the complete perfection he strove for. And though the online medium gave the flexibility he desired, a potential pitfall is the ephemeral nature of electronically stored media. As a guard against the possibility that Chuck's writings that he spent so much time on might disappear I have established this online archive as a memorial.
"Good Luck and Godspeed" is the traditional send-off given to NASA astronauts at launch. As Chuck was a dedicated space enthusiast I thought it a fitting title for this piece and a fitting domain name for an archive of his writings. I hope Chuck would agree.
Chuck's Obituary
| Charles Eugene Maddox III | ||
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Born: Aug. 7, 1961; in New Orleans, La. Died: May 12, 2008; in St. Charles He was fifth generation Maddox Construction ST. CHARLES - Charles Eugene Maddox III, 46, of St. Charles, died Monday, May 12, 2008, at his home. He was born Aug. 7, 1961, in New Orleans. He was employed with his father in Maddox Construction Co. before becoming employed by Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy for seven years. He was the fifth generation of Maddox Construction Co. Inc. that specializes in golf courses. He is survived by his sister, Laurie, of St. Charles. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Barbara Maddox. The visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 15, at Yurs Funeral Home, 405 E. Main St., corner of Routes 64 and 25, St. Charles. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday, May 16, at the funeral home. The Rev. Steve Miller will officiate. Burial will be at Union Cemetery, St. Charles. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society. For information, call Yurs Funeral Home at 630-584-0060 or visit www.yursfuneralhomes.com. Please sign the guest book at www.KCChronicle.com/obits |
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