Charles J. "Chuck" Hereth IV
- Jul 7
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 26
Charles “Chuck” J. Hereth IV (59) of Sherrill passed away suddenly on Friday, July 3, 2026 at Wynn Hospital in Utica with his loved ones by his side.
Chuck was born in Buffalo, NY on August 8, 1966 as the eldest son to Marianne Kraus Hereth and the late Charles J. Hereth III. After being raised in Buffalo with his four siblings, he went on to proudly join the United States Air Force at seventeen years old. During his military service he met the love of his life, Merle Elise Brodsky. On May 28, 1988, Chuck and Elise married at the Air Force Base Chapel in Niagara Falls, NY. After being stationed in Panama and eight years serving with the U.S Air Force, Chuck and Elise settled in Sherrill, NY where they raised their son, Daniel, and daughter, Kyra, and their many beloved pets.
Chuck was a hard-working, charismatic, and fun-loving man who could be found flying his Cessna 175, enjoying the great outdoors, sharing a laugh with family and friends, or working diligently alongside his co-workers at Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance (NUAIR).
Chuck was proud to hold the position of Chief Pilot for NUAIR until his untimely passing. Chuck received his Bachelor of Science degree in General Business in 1992 and excelled as an IT network engineer. He also received multiple ratings with his commercial pilot’s license and flight instructor certification. Chuck found immense joy in his hobbies and memberships with Galaxy Aviation, Adirondack Flying Club, Quiet Birdmen, American Legion, and decades long dedication to Civil Air Patrol and aviation safety.
Chuck is survived and deeply missed by his loving wife of thirty-eight years, Elise Hereth; his two dedicated children Daniel (Renee) Hereth of Clifton Park, NY, and Kyra (Sean) Furman of Sherrill, NY; his three loving grandsons Henry and Benjamin Hereth and Ryan Furman; his mother, Marianne Hereth of Buffalo, NY; his siblings Christopher (Stephanie) Hereth, Joseph Hereth, Mary (Peter) Boersma, and Gregory (Kim) Hereth all of Buffalo, NY; numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, in-laws, and cousins. He also leaves behind many friends who felt like family that Chuck held near and dear to his heart.
Calling hours will be held Sunday, July 26, 2026 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bottini Funeral Home located at 120 W. Embargo Street, Rome. A Celebration of Life service with military honors will be held at the conclusion of the calling hours.
Donations can be made in Chuck’s memory to Brooks Foundation; specifically Helen’s House in Jacksonville, FL and Civil Air Patrol; NY Wing.
You may view the obituary and leave a message of sympathy online at: www.bottinifuneralhome.com To view the service live, please use Zoom link:
Chuck was the quintessential professional aviator. I loved flying with him in CAP. He brought so much experience and a common sense approach to CAP operations in Central New York Group. And beyond that he was just so nice to be around. He lit up a room. Some of my favorite memories are the times we’d debrief over a beer at the Syracuse All Ranks bar. To say he’ll be missed is an understatement.
I’m so very sorry for your family loss. I liked Chuck…he was a good guy.
I hope you all find comfort soon. He’ll always be in your hearts.
We are deeply saddened to learn of Chuck's passing. We met when the kids were all in the Civil Air Patrol together and remember how much fun and enthusiasm Chuck had for everyone! Whenever we would run into Chuck, it was sure to follow with some great conversations and maybe even a couple of cold ones! He will be dearly missed by the entire Renfrew family.
I worked for Chuck from 1993-1994. I liked him very much. He was the good chuck
Chuck was my friend and one great guy. My most sincere condolences
Matthew Farr