Charles Albert Pearson

Charles A. (Cap) Pearson was born on February 25, 1944 and passed away on February 26, 2023. He was the first child of Charles T. and Jeanne K. Pearson. They spent the first few years of his life in the North End of Tacoma before moving to the home they built overlooking the Narrows Bridge.

Cap attended Washington School for kindergarten, Holy Cross for elementary and Bellarmine Prep for high school. He went to Washington State University where he studied civil engineering and graduated in 1967. Cap was a proud Cougar, which he represented with his WSU license plates. After college, Cap served in the United States Air Force.  Upon returning to Tacoma, he started his forty-two year career with Tacoma Public Works Department. While working there, he passed both the Civil and Structural Engineering exams and proudly appended his name with “PE SE”. His robust knowledge made him the go-to person for building code and structural plan checking. Some of the largest projects he worked on included the Tacoma Dome, the Foss Waterway Seaport and America’s Car Museum. Close friends and family often consulted with him on personal building or remodel projects. As part of his passion for engineering, he was a member of the Washington Society of Professional Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers, and Structural Engineers of Washington. He helped create scholarship opportunities and was an active participant in meetings and conventions. He was recognized for his contributions with numerous awards over the years.

Cap loved going to the family cabin on Priest Lake in Idaho. The family spent summers there growing up and in adulthood, he loved spending time with his siblings, nieces and nephews there. Even at the family cabin, he used his passion for engineering by working on projects from building a new shop to a new kitchen to a rail system and engine for pulling the boat out of the water.   

Cap was an active member of Holy Cross parish for seventy-three years and very observant in his Catholic religion.  He was also a proud member of the Tacoma Rotary Club and the Knights of Columbus and held roles in both organizations.  

Outside of his passion for his career, love for the lake, and devotion to church and community involvement, Cap’s free time was invested in cars and reading. He always owned a sports car in addition to his 1996 truck. He took pride in meticulously maintaining his vehicles. He was an avid reader with a long interest in western history, subscribing to magazines on the subject and reading many books with that theme. 

Cap never married and is survived by his brother Thomas Pearson, sister Ann Bowling (Danny), brother Donald Pearson (Margaret), nephews Nathan Bowling (Courtney), Neil Pearson (Ashley) and Charles Pearson (Sarah), nieces Hannah Hanley (Rory), and Sarah Wasielewski (Matt), as well as six grand nephews and nieces, all of whom he enjoyed greatly. 

The family would like to thank the owners and staff of Marigold Family Home as well as GenCare for their support. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on March 13, 2023, 11:00 AM with Rosary to precede at 10:15 AM at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 5510 North 44th Street Tacoma. Interment at Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Fife/Milton Food Bank, 2303 54th Ave E, Fife WA 98424 with reference to Cap Pearson.

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