- On 3 January 2023 the most beautiful of souls left this earth at the young age of 37.
Charlee Tulk came into the world in a hurry on October 9, 1985 in St. John’s, Newfoundland, where she made her early appearance at the Grace Hospital. Raised in Aspen Cove, she spent much of her early years in Carmanville with her Nan and Pop West.
Special in every way that one can imagine, Charlee loved life - and we all loved Charlee. Always wanting to put her best foot forward, she excelled at everything she touched. She lived by the motto, “If someone tells me I can’t do it, I will do it twice”. This started in school, with her homework completed before the start of every class and carried on with her participation in Brownies. As a young teenager, she joined 537 Gander Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron and rose quickly through the organization, reaching the rank of Warrant Officer First Class and holding the Squadron Chief appointment. Charlee was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Royal Canadian Legion Cadet Medal of Excellence, and was selected to attend several summer camps: Antigonish (Basic), Cold Lake (Senior Leaders), Greenwood (Staff Cadet), and the prestigious International Air Cadet Exchange (IACE).
Starting her post-secondary education at Mount Allision University in Sackville, New Brunswick Charlee transferred to the Centre for Nursing Studies in St. John’s, graduating with a Bachelor of Nursing in 2011.
While living in St. John’s, Charlee met the love of her life, Justin Andrews. A young professional, she began her career at the Health Sciences Centre as an ICU nurse. With her career established, they purchased their first home in Pouch Cove and enjoyed it to the fullest until moving to Gander in 2019, following Charlee’s graduation from Athabaska University as a Nurse Practitioner.
Outside of her professional success, Charlee loved adventure. She ran like the wind and wherever life took her – from the streets of Gander in the evenings, to the roads of Roddickton while on a locum, to the shores of the Caribbean while on vacation, she strapped on a pair of sneakers to enjoy the scenery. An avid outdoors person, Charlee was skilled with a rifle and filled many freezers with moose meat. In fact, she was featured in the Newfoundland Sportsmans magazine, not once but twice. But that was just the tip of the iceberg as she also loved salmon fishing, snow shoeing and Nordic skiing.
Not limited to the outdoors, Charlee enjoyed time curled up in front of the TV with her knitting needles in hand and her yarn in her bag by her side – a bag that was graced with images of The Golden Girls, reflective of Charlee’s old spirit and love of laughter. She also crocheted and made crafts, setting up booths at several craft shows across the island.
A lover of animals, she had an affinity for dogs – welcoming three into her home: Callie, Tucker, and Lucy. Callie was her first puppy, a Shitzhu who brightened her life while in Nursing school. A few years later Tucker wandered into her life, quite by accident, and became living proof that being lost in the woods can turn out to be a good thing. Her final dog was her beloved Saluki mix rescue, Lucy. They spent hours together walking, cuddling, and learning new skills – with Lucy trained by her new Mom to say her prayers. It was common knowledge that Charlee loved dogs more than she loved people and given what she did for people, this makes us all appreciate how she must have loved dogs to the moon and back again.
Feeling her loss and left to mourn are Charlee’s spouse, Justin Andrews; parents Cindy West and Geoffrey Tulk; grandfather Clarence West; brother Tyson and nieces Madison and Brooklyn; in-laws Pansy and Lorne Andrews; sister-in-Law Ashley (Scott) Ward and niece and nephew Ava and Hunter; Aunt Gloria Angell, Aunt Diane Eastman, and Uncle Wayne (Kim) West; several cousins, and large circle of friends and colleagues.
A funeral service will be held at Carmanville United Church on Saturday, 21 January at 2:00pm with a reception to follow next door at Phoenix Academy.
Donations in Charlee’s memory can be made to Beagle Paws Rescue or any chapter of the SPCA
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West & Park Family History
1985 - 2023 (37 years)
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