Charles Luton

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Charles Gordon Luton, 67, of Shelton, Wash., died Friday, Dec. 23, 2005, at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle.

He was born Oct. 28, 1938, in Olmsted, Ill., son of Charlie M. and Anna Ervin Luton.

Luton was a 1956 graduate of Mound City High School and a 1960 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. He was an honors graduate of the U.S. Army Command General Staff College, received a master's degree in Asian studies from the University of Hawaii in 1967, and was a graduate of the Monterey Defense Language Institute in California.

He served 21 years in the military, including two tours during the Vietnam War. At the Pentagon he served as Far East intelligence officer, then served in Iran.

Luton was a professor at Knox College, Bradley University and South Puget Sound Community College.

After leaving the Army he became vice president of General Defense Far East Division and lived in Hong Kong. He returned to the United States in 1990. He continued his consulting work, which included jobs in Cairo, Egypt and Bangkok, Thailand.

Survivors include his wife, Barbara; two sons, Todd and Scott Luton; two stepsons, Brian and Bruce Bird; a stepdaughter, Rebecca Tarantino; a sister, Carolyn Geittmann of Cape Girardeau; and four grandchildren.

A memorial service with full military honors will be held today at Harstine Island Community Hall.

Bleitz Funeral Home in Seattle is in charge of arrangements.