Charles Anthony Stemple, or Charlie as most knew him, passed away on February 2, 2024 at the age of 64 after a four-year battle with cancer.

Charlie was born on June 29th, 1959 in Douglas, AZ, and was the oldest of seven children born to Charles Howard Stemple and Martha Valencia. Charlie grew up in Douglas and graduated from Douglas High School in 1977 before beginning his lifetime career in law enforcement in 1979 as an officer for the Douglas Police Department. He served, protected and saved lives in the Douglas community as a Patrol Officer, Detective, and Sergeant.

In 1988, Charlie transitioned to federal law enforcement with what was then the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service under the Department of Justice. Initially assigned to the Douglas Port of Entry, Charlie participated in multiple drug seizures, assisted in investigating  human trafficking cases and would later lead the Douglas and Naco ports as the Area Port Director. After moving to Seattle, WA in 2003, Charlie transitioned to a Supervisory Program Manager role with the newly formed Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) under the Department of Homeland Security. That role included overseeing operations at nearly 70 ports of entry across the Pacific Northwest. While assigned to Seattle, he also worked various international assignments in a counter-terrorism role in London, Amsterdam, and Tokyo, culminating in a 3.5 year assignment as an Attaché to the U.S. Ambassador in Nairobi, Kenya. While responsible for the creation of multiple law enforcement programs across East  Africa, his proudest achievement was the establishment of the Regional Rural Border Patrol Training Academy which, in collaboration with the U.S. Border Patrol, provided border enforcement opportunities with the skills and equipment to protect Kenya's land borders and combat illegal poaching of elephants and rhinos. It was during this time that the elephant became his favorite animal.

Charlie retired from CBP in 2015 after nearly 35 years of law enforcement service to Douglas, the United States, and communities around the world. He would later continue his service to the community as a Risk Manager to the Catholic Diocese of Southern Arizona before retiring one last time in 2023.

Charlie held an Associate of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Cochise College in Douglas, AZ and held a lifetime membership with the Fraternal Order of Police.  He was a car enthusiast whose dream car was a 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 and enjoyed constantly rewatching Miami Vice.  He loved listening to country western and mariachi music, took joy in the company of his French Bulldogs, Chulo, Petunia, and Milo, and above all else, loved being a father, grandfather, and husband.

Charlie is survived by his wife of 15 years, Nury, his four children, Veronica Perry (Jordan), Christopher Stemple, Charlie Stemple, and Anthony Stemple; two grandchildren, Jordan and Ariana Perry; two brothers, Joseph Stemple (Doni) and Michael Stemple; four sisters, Margaret Stemple-Stevens (Oscar), Sylvia Ramirez (Tony), Mary Stemple, and Martha Perez; as well as a number of cousins, nieces and nephews.

A rosary in Charlie's honor will be held on Friday, February 9, 2024 at 6 PM at the St. Augustine Cathedral located at 192 S Stone Ave, Tucson, AZ  85701. A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at 1 PM, also at the St. Augustine Cathedral, followed by the burial ceremony at the East Lawn Palms Cemetery located at 5801 E Grant Rd, Tucson, AZ  85712.

Charlie was loved by many and will be forever missed!