Harry Vance "Chuck" Muncie Celebration of Life

Saturday, May 25, 2013

About

The Rock Church will be hosting Chuck Muncie's Celebration of Life on Saturday, May 25th at 12PM. To watch the service live, please click WATCH LIVE

History of Life: 

Harry Vance “Chuck” Muncie was born on March 17, 1953 to George and Evelyn Munsey, in the small town of Uniontown Pennsylvania.  As the youngest of six children in a football playing family, he was constantly trying to keep up with his older siblings. As a result one day at the age of six he was ran over by a dump truck; breaking his thigh, hip, leg and arm. He was in a cast for almost a year. The doctor warned the family he would not be able to walk again, and Chuck was left with his left leg slightly shorter than his right. He compensated by wearing an extra thick sole. With his loving brother Nelson’s drive, he helped “Chuckie” to regain strength in his legs and turned him on to basketball.  

Chuck saw sports as a way to get out of his small town and avoid the fate of becoming a coal or steel worker,as so many of his friends were. During his time at Uniontown High, Muncie played basketball, averaging 18 points per game for the Uniontown Red Raiders and earning an athletic scholarship to play basketball for Arizona Western Junior College. While there, the football coach convinced Muncie to try out and he made the team. He never got a chance to play basketball for the school.  After one year he received a scholarship from the University of California, Berkeley .

At Berkley in the 70’s, Chuck was swiftly becoming a star running back for the Cal Golden bears. He was big, fast and elusive. Chuck was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy behind two time winner Archie Griffin. The New Orleans Saints saw this and he was selected in the first round as the third overall pick of the 1976 NFL Draft. He and second round pick, Tony Galbreath, formed a backfield that was dubbed “Thunder and Lightning”. In 1980 Chuck was traded to the San Diego Chargers and continued to succeed as a phenomenal running back. He was selected to play for the Pro Bowl twice, appeared on the cover of Sports illustrated twice and his 71 rushing touchdowns ranked him ninth in NFL history at his retirement. He is now ranked fifth in Saints History in career rushing yards. He was named to the Saints Hall of Honor and he became a member of the Chargers 40th and 50th anniversary teams, and the list goes on. 

In the 80’s Chuck turned his life around after a brief incarceration by pursuing business interests and reaching out to troubled youth in his community. Muncie became the director of the Boys and Girls club of Port Hueneme, CA and of Bullhead city, AZ. In 1997 he established the Chuck Muncie Youth Foundation. The non-profit organization mentored at-risk youth and provided free medical services, childhood immunizations, tattoo removal for post- gang members, and camps for chronically ill children. Muncie also led a program that mentored athletes at his alma mater in Berkeley. In his later years, he also ran a combine recruiting service evaluating high school football players. “Everything I did and everything I went through in my life has allowed me to do the things I’m doing now,” Chuck said.

Sadly Chuck passed away of a heart attack on May 13, 2013 in Perris, California. 

He is survived by: Danielle Muncie Ward (daughter), Patricia Russell and Marsha Stratford (sisters), Lianna, Josiah, and Aaliyah Ward (grandchildren) and a host of nieces and nephews.

When
Saturday · May 25, 2013
12 - 2 PM
Where
Cost
Free
Contact
If you have questions, please contact Valerie Ward at valerie.ward@sdrock.com.
WATCH LIVE
View map on Google

Receive updates from the Rock

Success! You are signed up.

Follow Rock Church