Chuck Noll left this world to be reunited with his loving wife Jo Ann "Ivy" Noll and brother Edward Hooper Noll, on Christmas Eve, less than a month before his 85th birthday. Chuck was born January 22, 1931, the son of Charles Richard Noll and Christine Hooper Noll and is survived by his two sons Robert and Randy; his daughter-in-law Robin; three grandchildren (Austin, CJ and Julie Anne); step children Brian Eckhart, Jim Eckhart and Suzanne Hunt; in laws, Tom Hunt, Karen and Debbie Eckhart; step grandchildren Dusty, Derrick and David Hunt & Grant, Sam and Erin Eckhart, as well as numerous step great grandchildren.
Chuck will be remembered as a loyal and loving son, husband and father. In his public life, he was most proud of his accomplishments as a geologist in the oil industry, and most notably, as a wildcatting division manager with one of the highest discovery percentages in the industry during the 1970s and early 80s. Later in life, he took great pride in giving back to the industry through his recruitment of young geologists to the profession, his work at trade shows and his leadership in both the local and national levels of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. Chuck was truly a man who refused to settle for normality in life, could easily laugh at himself, and enjoyed being the center of attention. Life had to be adventurous and Chuck always made a point of recognizing the humor and uniqueness that existed in his own life As a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was not shy of recognizing the fact that he shared a name and city with the famous championship football coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, an association that he often quipped had a great deal to do with his successes in professional life. He even once managed to avoid a speeding ticket on the Pennsylvania turnpike because the trooper recognized his name and likeness to the football coach. A "hidden dream" for Chuck was of being in the film biz....and in 2005-2006, he realized that dream by assuming the role of Executive Producer on a film (starring soap opera star, Maurice Benard, and film star, Richard T. Jones). He flew out to LA to be on set for the film and was like a kid in a candy store, watching the shots from the sidelines. One of the crowning moments of Chuck's "sitcom-like" personal life was a unique 60th birthday and life celebration, jointly sponsored and paid for by both his first and second wives, Marilyn (25 years and Jo Ann 27 years): the Cadillac Bar was packed to the brim with family and friends and ended with a classic "Chuck moment" in which he jokingly pre-invited all the guests to his Golden Wedding Anniversary, celebrating "his" 50 years of marriage to two different women, whom had become good friends in the year that followed his marriage to Jo Ann.
In high school, Chuck served on Student Council, was a member of the National Honor Society and was a football star, who led Avonworth High School to an undefeated season in his role as quarterback. Chuck received a bachelor's degree in geology from Dartmouth College and a master's from the University of Oklahoma. Chuck began his career in 1955 in Oklahoma City with Stanolind (which soon became PanAmerican then Amoco, now BP), where he eventually worked as district projects geologist and senior staff geologist in Tulsa, Jackson, Miss., and Houston. In 1971 Chuck established the Davis Oil Co. office and served as its division manager in Houston until 1982, when he joined Frio Exploration as exploration manager. As a member of the same management team, Chuck served as exploration manager and subsequently chief exploration officer of New Bremen Corp., Live Oak Reserves Inc. and their affiliations, most notably Copano Field Services, a gathering pipeline and processing company focused in the Texas Gulf Coast region. Noll also formed C.R. Noll & Associates in 1989 for three years with Neumin Production Co. as his client. In his years as an executive management team member with Copano, in association with CEO John Eckel Jr., the company grew in size and went public as "Copano Energy" and eventually was purchased by Kinder Morgan. Chuck's most significant exploration activities included the Gunpoint Field and the Dewey Lake area, both in Texas. In his career, Chuck was also been involved in activities in Louisiana, Mississippi, the Rockies, Appalachians and Michigan.
In the latter stages of his career, Chuck was very active in the Houston Geological Society and served on numerous committees with HGS. Joining AAPG in 1955, Chuck served as the local Society's president in 1986-87 and served as National Secretary for AAPG in 1999-2001. He was co-chairman of the 1991 Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies meeting in Houston in 1991, receiving the GCAGS Distinguished Service Award in 1992. Chuck was on the 1974 AAPG annual meeting coordinating committee and was a member of the AAPG House of Delegates in 1973-75, 1981-84 and 1986 to 2000, serving as Credentials Committee chairman in 1997-98. He received both the AAPG Distinguished Service Award and Certificate of Merit in 1995. He was vice chairman of the personal placement committee for the AAPG annual meeting in 1971, was on the Entertainment Committee for the 1979 annual meeting. He also served as general vice chairman of the 1995 AAPG annual meeting in Houston and on the Committee on Conventions from 1993-96. He was a member of the Division of Professional Affairs since 1982, Noll served as DPA president in 1992-93 and received the HGS Distinguished Service Award in 1993, the DPA Distinguished Service Award in 1996, and the Houston Geological Society (HGS) Honorary Life Award in 1999.
Other professional affiliations include: Member of OEI, PAPG, Member of HGS, CCGS, GCSSEPM, STGS, SIPES; Commonwealth of Pennsylvania PG 658G (registered); Applicant, Texas Board of Professional Geoscientist Registration, Alumni Advisory Council, OU School of Geology, Dartmouth College Alumni Council, Alumni Advisory Council, OU School of Geology; Chairman, Eastern Section Student Job Quest Committee.