Charles Joseph Adkins

Charles J. "Chuck" Adkins of Louisville passed away at home on July 13, 2020. Chuck was born on October 8, 1946, the son of the late Charles H. and Mary Alice Bradley Adkins. His childhood was spent in Raceland, a small town in Northeastern Kentucky which, at the time, was almost like Mayberry. There were many adventures to be had, from exploring Lost Canyon and playing too close to the railroad tracks, to fishing at Bonzo's Farm Pond. After a family tragedy, Chuck and his sister Gay were raised by their maternal grandmother, Harriet "Mom" Bradley.

While attending Russell High School at the age of 16, Chuck began working at Scott's Drugs in Flatwoods, KY. When treating his own poison ivy rash, Chuck convinced a coworker and friend, Jack Edwards, that he was drinking poison ivy medicine instead of applying it. Jack was frantic. He never gave up those pranks, even after he met the love of his life, Nancy. Their first meeting was a blind date to his junior prom. They were a familiar sight zipping around in Chuck's Triumph TR3, usually with Nancy's cousin, Diane Cassity, squeezed in beside them. After graduating, he and Nancy attended Morehead State University and were married in their sophomore year. Chuck graduated from Morehead in 1969 and joined the U.S. Army, serving a tour of duty in Pleiku, Vietnam, with the 52nd Artillery Group. When hitching a ride on a cargo plane and seated beside a massive bomb, he awoke when he heard a zing near his head. A sergeant ran back with a flashlight and showed him the bullet holes from Viet Cong ground fire in the plane's floor.

After being discharged from the U.S. Army, he took a job with the Internal Revenue Service in Tulsa, Oklahoma as a Revenue Officer. Two years later he was hired as a Special Agent of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, beginning a long and exciting career as a U.S. Treasury Special Agent and Group Manager. His work took him all over the USA and even to Eastern Europe where he taught seminars to criminal investigators of the Russian Tax Police and their counterparts in Belarus and Ukraine. During his career with the IRS, he was detailed to the U.S. Secret Service on five presidential protection details, as well as details for other presidential candidates. While working 50 hours a week as a Group Manager for the U.S. Treasury, he earned his Juris Doctor degree at the University of Louisville. The day after he retired from the IRS, CID, he opened his first law office in Louisville as a solo attorney. He gave free legal advice to countless friends.

After practicing law for ten years, he started a company that purchased the Papa John's Pizza franchise for the entire country of Russia. He moved to Moscow and built the first two Papa John's restaurants in Russia, the first of which is the number one Papa John's location in the world. In Moscow, a city of millions, his Russian friends were amazed at how many people they would run into that were acquainted with him. But whether in Russia or the United States, Chuck never met a stranger.

A few years later, he started an optical distributorship, which allowed him to travel all over South America and Eastern Europe. Frequently joining Chuck on his trips were his wife and son.

Throughout his life, Chuck had dogs of all breeds and sizes. His last dog, Buddy, a Rottweiler, was the smartest dog Chuck ever knew and enriched the lives of all who knew him. Chuck took Buddy to the Tom Sawyer Dog Park every day, rain or shine.

He enjoyed woodworking, golf, scuba diving, billiards, and boating. He and his best friend, Bob Duncan, spent more hours working on their boats than they did cruising on the river. Chuck was also an avid motorcyclist and enjoyed riding the Kentucky backroads on his Harley Davidson. He made the decision to sell his bike only in the last few months of his life, when it became clear that his illness had made him too weak to ride again.

Chuck served his country in the military and throughout a distinguished career in federal law enforcement. He loved his country and regretted that he could not live long enough to see Donald Trump removed from office.

Chuck wrote shortly before his death, "This life has truly been a gift to me, and it has been a true privilege meeting and getting to know so many wonderful people. Please know that I died with very few regrets after living a full, rich, and rewarding life. I always tried to do my best. I know life can be tough, and some may think it's not worth the effort; that simply is not true. Many seem to have an easier path through life, but all of our paths come together at the horizon. Just stay on the path that will take you on a scenic and joyful journey."

Chuck persevered through a long, difficult illness and received numerous blood transfusions. His family would like to thank the blood donors and healthcare workers who allowed him to spend more time with those who loved him.

Left to cherish his memory are Nancy Adkins, his wife of 53 years, son Ryan Adkins, daughter-in-law Whitney, grandson Fox, sister Gay King, aunt Doris Bradley, nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends.

Due to the Covid pandemic there will be no service. Cremation will be by Newcomer Funeral Home, and an online obituary is available on their web site. Memorial gifts may be made to the KY Humane Society and the Louisville Dog Run Association.