Charles Flach, Fargo, ND died March 18, 2026 at St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Henderson, NV due to acute cardiac disease.

Charles Lynn Flach was born at Bellingham, WA on April 4, 1946. He was the first child of Curtis Lynn Flach and Edith Lucille Verduin Flach as well as the first grandchild of each of his grandparents

He graduated from Litchville Public High School in 1964 and attended Hasting, ND public school through grade 10. He was awarded a Bachelors Degree form Valley City State in 1968. He participated in Track and Field, student government, the school paper and various social activities at VCS. Following his graduation he taught English, including Journalism overseeing the school paper and coached Track and Field and Cross Country through his entire career.

After high school he worked seasonally beginning with two summers repairing and building trails at Glacier National Park. He then began a career in firefighting beginning on "hot shot" crew at Grangeville, ID. The following season he became a smokejumper based out of Missoula, MT. He continued for 35 seasons as a jumper based out of Missoula and West Yellowstone. He achieved a record number of fire jumps for the Missoula region and ranked very high nationally in career jumps. His assignments ranged from the Alaskan tundra to Arizona and New Mexico including all of the west coast and mountain west states. Fortunately he escaped major injuries. Like all smokejumpers he trained vigorously and in his early years he set the record time for the obstacle course.

Chuck finished his Forrest Service career supporting various functions in fire suppression and forrest land management including controlled burns in Minnesota and Mississippi. His non-jumper highlight experience was an assignment to NASA, heading a crew to recover debris from the space shuttle Columbia.

Chuck was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents Henry Verduin and Ralphine Kluvers Verduin, Alex Flach and Sophia Anderson Flach, brother-in-law Chuck Hartman, and infant Hartman triplets Alexius, Ashley, and Allen.

He is survived by his siblings David (Bev), Robert (Kathy), Scott (Donna) and Patricia Hartman Hoffman (Bill), nieces and Nephews; Tricia Promersberger (Eric), Anthony Flach (Holly), Erika Leitch (Cameron), Bryan Flach (Cassie), Alicia Dietrich (Chad), Chad Flach (Emily), Michael Flach (Shannon), Roberta Storm (Shane), Troy and Trevor Hartman.

Memorials to Red River Church, Litchvile Cemetery fund, or Hospice of the Red River Valley

A memorial service will be held at 11:00am Saturday, May 9, 2026 at Red River Church in West Fargo, ND. Burial will be at the Litchville Cemetery, ND

Arrangements entrusted to Hanson-Runsvold Funeral Home - Fargo, ND