Charles William “Chuck” Varnam, Jr., 51, of Laguna Vista, TX passed away on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, after suffering from heart failure for several years. Chuck was born on September 9, 1971, to Charles William Varnam, Sr. and Mary Varnam in Harlingen, TX. He lived his childhood in Laguna Vista, TX, where he enjoyed riding bikes, fishing, skating, and exploring the area. He was very active as a youth, being a member of the Cub Scouts (where his mom served as Den Mother) and the Boy Scouts. He played in little league baseball and soccer. He also competed in BMX racing, even going as far as Houston to compete. Chuck loved the water and would surf on South Padre Island and go boating and surf fishing. He went shrimping with his dad who was captain of his own boat, “The Queen Anitra”. He spent days on the gulf learning from his father. These were some of his fondest memories. Chuck went to school in Port Isabel where he participated in UIL ready writing, receiving numerous awards. He was quite competitive and would talk about his “arch nemesis” from Sharyland who would beat him for first place some of the time. He was a natural athlete and did well at field days, excelling at high jump. He played football in junior high where he played linebacker. He often talked about regrets not playing in high school. Chuck received his GED with honors from UTPA in Edinburg TX after being accepted into a program where he lived on campus at the dorms and attended classes. He did well there and was even offered a scholarship to attend college, but he ultimately turned it down. He was not able to graduate with his class in Port Isabel, even though he had the grades, because he had missed too many days (skipped) to receive credit. After school, Chuck went to work in various jobs such as landscaping, carpentry, hanging sheetrock, and laying tile. But it was house painting that he was most passionate about and considered his true profession. He learned the skills while working with his Uncle Sam Silguero, picking up the skills with brush, roller, and sprayer. He applied his skills working around the Port Isabel area. He moved away from Port Isabel for a time, living in San Antonio and Houston, where he worked for a contractor doing house painting. The contractor he worked for had received contracts to paint new military housing on different bases. Because of this, Chuck moved around painting at military bases in San Antonio and El Paso. Chuck was then sent to North Carolina to be the foreman for the painting crew working on base housing. He was really proud of his work there, where he made sure everything was high quality and passed his inspection, since he was the one in charge. Chuck used the skills he picked up running a crew and being in charge of operation when he moved back to Port Isabel. He formed his own company, Illuminating Painting, and worked in the area painting houses and condominiums on South Padre Island. In later years he would have to slow down because of health issues but still worked on smaller projects on his own or with a small crew. House painting was still his passion and he often talked about the various techniques that would be used. He always talked about painting big projects in the future and was always looking at new equipment. Chuck loved life and liked to go to concerts, festivals, and various sporting events. He was always prodding those around him, his mother, brother, and sister to “get out and go”. He made sure his mom went and saw her favorite quarterbacks play when they came to Houston. First Peyton Manning when the Broncos played the Texans, and then Patrick Mahomes when the Chiefs came. Chuck was quite nostalgic and would tell his stories about past exploits and adventures and misadventures he would have with his friends. He was a very loyal friend and even though it would sometimes be years that he saw an old friend, they were always in his heart. He liked to listen to music from his youth and could sit for hours on the porch watching videos. One could often not get away until they had watched whatever video he was showing. He always said that YouTube was the best thing ever created. He was preceded in death by his father, Charles William Varnam, Sr.; grandparents, Eunice and Carrie Varnam, Ildefonso and Oralia Silguero, and Gilberto and Hortencia Martinez; uncles, Edward “Lanny” Varnam, Robert Varnam, Ildefonso “Junie” Silguero, Jr., Gilberto “Toe” Martinez, Leo “Speck” Sanders, Robert “Bob” McNeely; aunt, Sue Varnam, and cousin, James Jackson. He is survived by his mother, Mary Varnam; brother, Leif Varnam; sister, Anitra Varnam; son, Sebastian Curtin-Varnam; uncles, Albert “Chuca” Martinez, Hector (Phyllis) Martinez, Oscar (Jovita) Martinez, Sam (Ramona) Silguero, Noe (Sally ) Silguero, and Joe Silguero; aunts, Rosemary Varnam, Nancy Sanders, Daisy McNeely, Maria De Jesus Varnam, Sandra Gonzalez, Irene Silguero, Alice (Manuel) Carillo, Jessica (Peter) Holmes and Irene (Junie) Silguero; and numerous cousins and other relatives. The family will be receiving visitors on Thursday, May 4, 2023, beginning at 12:00 noon with a Memorial Service beginning at 2:00 p.m. at Thomae-Garza Funeral Home in San Benito, TX. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in memory of Charles William “Chuck” Varnum, Jr., to the American Heart Association Heart Association P.O. Box 840692, Dallas, TX 75284-0692. You may sign the online guestbook, light a remembrance candle, or send words of comfort to the family of Charles William “Chuck” Varnum, Jr. at www.thomaegarza.com. Funeral arrangements entrusted to the care of Thomae-Garza Funeral Home and Crematory, 395 S. Sam Houston, Blvd., San Benito, TX 78586.