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Director 1991 - 1998
Charles 'Chuck' Dorian Issaquah, WA QCWA # 4118 Chapter 4 |
Charles Dorian, Captain, USCG (Retired)
Charles Dorian, 92, died peacefully at his home in Issaquah, WA on June 20, 2014. Born September 27, 1921 to Edith (Beaton) and Charles John Cain Dorian in Quincy, MA.
Charles married Mary Elizabeth Miller Dec 15, 1945 in Washington DC. He was preceded in death by his beloved Mary after 44 years of marriage and by their son Thomas, 1952-73. Charles is survived by his brother Norman and sister Edith Ackerman. His surviving children are Charles L. Dorian, Nancy D. Ruiz, E. Susan Drazek, Margaret D. Davis, and John A. Dorian. He took great pride and joy in his 12 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. Charles is survived by his wife of 22 years, Willisa Dorian. They enjoyed many years of travel.
In 1939 Charles graduated from Natick High School, Natick, MA. After success in a nation-wide competitive examination, he entered the US Coast Guard Academy in September 1939. He graduated in June 1942 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering. He was a graduate of US Naval Academy Post Graduate School 1943-44 in Communications.
Charles served on seven ships sailing in the North Atlantic, Caribbean, Great Lakes, North and South Pacific Oceans. While aboard the USCGC NORTHLAND on Greenland Patrol in 1942, he was involved in the rescue of 31 pilots and crewmen from B-17s, P-38s and a Canadian Hudson bomber. During his assignment to the USS CALLAWAY, an Attack Transport ship, he participated in five initial invasion landings including the Marianas, Philippines and Iwo Jima. The CALLAWAY was the only Coast Guard-manned vessel to be hit by a Japanese kamikaze, killing 30 officers and crewmen.
After serving in various Staff positions in District and Area Commands, Captain Dorian became Chief of Coast Guard Communications, 1964-1967, and then Deputy Director, Office of Telecommunications upon creation of the US Department of Transportation in 1967. He held this position until his retirement from the US Coast Guard in 1972. From 1966 to 1972 he was the International Chairman of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization, Sub-Committee on Radiocommunications. In 1967, he received the US Armed Forces Legion of Merit for exceptional meritorious achievement to improve maritime safety via radiocommunications, stressing the benefits of satellites dedicated to maritime emergencies.
From 1972-82, Charles worked for the Communications Satellite Corporation as Director of International Relations, dealing with mobile satellite communications for ship, aircraft and land vehicles. He served on US Department of State delegations to the International Telecommunication Union in Geneva, Switzerland over a twenty year period. He was one of the "fathers" of the new maritime satellite communications system, which is now the primary emergency and commercial system for all ships at sea.
Charles was a Licensed Radio Amateur for 75 years, call sign W3JPT, and was a member of various wireless associations, including eight years as the American Radio Relay League's Washington, DC representative. He loved to fish, golf, volksmarch, tour with Elderhostel, and geocache. He was an active member of his church. Charles was computer savvy and spent many hours researching extended family genealogy, especially the Dorian line in Scotland and Ireland, and the Burnett and Cate lines in TN and NC. The family reunions every five years and vacations with his daughters were a highlight of his later years.
Charles will be remembered as a generous, kind and loving man who embraced life with curiosity, compassion and exuberance. He will be greatly missed by his family. His remains will be interned at Arlington National Cemetery. Donations in his memory may be made to the Washington Talking Books Library, http://www.wtbbl.org/
Published in The Seattle Times from June 27 to June 28, 2014
Licensed in 1939 as W1LXO, has an advanced class licensee and still operating, HF, VHF and UHF bands. Attended more than 20 international conferences concerned with mobile and amateur communications.
In US Coast Guard communications for 20 years, retired as Deputy Director, Office of Telecommunications, DOT. First Secretary and a Director of AMSAT, and a past president of the Washington DC Chapter of QCWA and the Foundation for Amateur Radio. Very knowledgeable on national and international regulations.