May 5, 1914 - July 31, 1999

Charles A. ''Chuck'' Sweeney died unexpectedly, but of natural causes, at 8:45 p.m. on Saturday, July 31, in St. Joseph Regional Medical Center.

Mr. Sweeney was born on May 5, 1914, in Bloomington, Ill., to Edmund and Myrtle Sweeney, both of whom preceded him in death.

On April 18, 1938, in South Bend, Ind., he married the former Helen Burgess, who survives.

He is also survived by three sons, Charles A. (Georgia) Sweeney, Jr., of Granger, Ind., Michael Sweeney of Lake Oswego, Ore., and John (Terri) Sweeney of South Bend; six daughters, Barbara Petersen of Los Angeles, Calif., Beverly (Jim) Crance of South Bend, Susan (Bob) Evans of Champaign, Ill., Kathleen (Dr. Carter) Henrich of Bloomington, Ind., Peggy Sweeney of Maitland, Fla., and Sheila (Craig) Allen of Kentfield, Calif.; 21 grandchildren, Kelley Sanders, Mary Sweeney, Susan Sweeney, Thomas Sweeney, Maureen Spielman, Kerry Sweeney, Sean Spalding, Corey Evans, Matthew Evans, Ryan Sweeney, John Sweeney, Lara, Erica, Heidi, Peter and Daniel Henrich, Tom, Joseph and Kevin Dennig, Christine and Alison Sweeney; and by five great grandchildren, Tiffany, Kyle, Victoria, Jackson and Carly.

Mr. Sweeney came to South Bend in 1934 to attend the University Notre Dame. He graduated in 1938 and achieved consensus All American status, as an end on the 1937 football team. He earned three monograms in football and was also a member of the University basketball team. At the time of his death he was the oldest living Notre Dame football All-American.

As a college senior he led the nation in the total number of votes for the College All-Stars, who played and defeated the World Champion Washington Redskins at Soldier Field, Chicago, Ill. He also started in the East-West Shrine game in San Francisco.

Upon graduation he joined the National Football League and officiated for twenty-five years. He is one of eight officials recognized at the Professional Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Among the championship games he worked, was the historic first sudden death championship contest between the New York Giants and Baltimore Colts in Yankee Stadium in 1958.

He was the branch manager of Sinclair Refining Company until his retirement in 1968, after which he accepted a management position at the University of Notre Dame from which he retired in 1980.

He was a member of Saint Anthony' Parish and a member of the Notre Dame Monogram Club, the University Club, the Knights of Columbus and the South Bend Rotary. Mr. Sweeney also ran for the democratic nomination for mayor in 1968.

He was devoted to his wife of sixty-one years, his family and the University of Notre Dame.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 1999, in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at the University of Notre Dame. Burial will follow at Cedar Grove Cemetery.

Friends may call from 2 until 4 and 6 until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 3, in the Hickey Funeral Home on Cleveland Road, where a rosary will be prayed at 6:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family ask that memorial contributions be made to the Visiting Nurse Association, 810 E. Park Place, Mishawaka, IN 46545.