Obituary
Chester "Chet" Dean Livingston, 74, of Modesto, passed away on Wednesday, January 27, 2010, at Kaiser Permanente Modesto Medical Center. Chet was the only child born to Efton and Helen Greenway Livingston on April 17, 1935, in a farmhouse located in Stone County, Missouri.
He received his GED while enlisted in the US Army, 82nd Airborne, stationed at Ft Bragg, North Carolina. Chet received an honorable discharge in 1959 and returned to Modesto. He worked at E & J Gallo Winery where he met the love of his life, Margaret "Peggy" Isabella Hook. They were married from December 1962 until her death in June, 2006. After Gallo, Chet worked for Johns-Manville in Stockton, and then moved on to Kaiser Steel, followed by Bagdad Copper Corporation. Moving into supervisory roles, he moved to Kennecott Copper Corporation, followed by NL Industries and Kaiser Aluminum Corporation. He left the metal industry and relocated back to Modesto working for Market Wholesale Grocery Company until his retirement in 2000.
He enjoyed SCUBA diving and working with his friends recovering sunken pleasure boats. He lived in several Western states. His hobbies included geocaching, camping, hunting, and exploring ghost towns. He enjoyed writing stories, with a book on primitive hunting techniques being published. He also wrote fictional stories for his diving club and singles group.
Chet enjoyed a good joke, especially if they were practical jokes played upon his sisters-in-law. His main regret was not having a college degree, feeling it held him back from more management positions.
He is survived by his two adult children, Elizabeth Cannon (Mike) of Rota, Spain and David Livingston, Modesto; two grandchildren, Christopher and Karen Cannon of Rota, Spain; his cousin Carl Livingston (Diane) of Modesto; and his special lady friend, Mary Louise Dishman of Modesto. He is preceded in death by his wife of 43 years, Peggy.
Cremation services done by the Neptune Society.