Glenwood Park trustee and lifelong sportsman Charles “Chuck” Thomas Hoovler of The Plains, Va., died on Sept. 28. He was 80.
Mr. Hoovler was born June 22, 1931, in White Plains, N.Y. He moved to Virginia as a young boy and grew up there. He served in the U.S. Navy as an aviation ordanceman and a tail gunner in Attack Squadron 175 on the USS Roosevelt, USS Coral Sea and USS Midway from 1948-1952.
After leaving the military, Mr. Hoovlerattended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., and graduated with a degree in economics in 1956.
Mr. Hoovler was a successful businessman, but he also had a passion for equestrian endeavors.
He was an executive board member and director of traffic/security for the Virginia Gold Cup and the International Gold Cup races. One of his most beloved pastimes was serving as ringmaster for the Warrenton Pony Show(Va.), Warrenton Horse Show, and the Upperville Colt and Horse Show (Va.).
“He could have been in the hospital, and I think he would have dragged him- self out to do those [breeding] divisions,” said his daughter, Shelley Payne.
As a landowner and longtime supporter of the Orange County Hunt (Va.), he volunteered at their annual events. He also was a strong supporter of the Middleburg Orange County Pony Club and the MOC Beagles.
However, his greatest passion was serving as a trustee of Glenwood Park in Middleburg, Va. Under his guidance and management, he and his fellow trustee made multiple improvements to the racecourse, including new buildings, turf management and historic tree preserva- tion. The most significant of their land conservation achievements was placing the racecourse into perpetual conservation easement.
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Mr. Hoovler received numerous awards and commendations for his work, including the 2002 Warrenton Horse Show Gilman Volunteer Award and the 2005 Piedmont Environmental Council Conservation Volunteer Award.
Mr. Hoovler is survived by his wife, Wilma Avery Hoovler; three daughters, Cynthia Hair of Warrenton, Va., Karen Crane of Delray Beach, Fla. and Shelley Payne of Keswick, Va.; and five grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made in Chuck Hoovler’s name to Glenwood Park Trust, P.O. Box 467, Middleburg, Va. 20118.
This obituary appeared in the November 14, 2011 issue of the Chronicle.
