It could be months before family and friends know why O’Fallon contractor died on lake
Praise and condolences are pouring in for Charles “Chuck” Poettker, 69, of O’Fallon, founder and CEO of a large metro-east construction company, who died Saturday while boating on Kentucky Lake.
It may be months before officials determine the cause of his death.
“Chuck was a very good swimmer,” said Lauren Freinberg, spokeswoman for Poettker Construction, based in Breese. “He was with his wife ... on the lake. He has a boat there, and he jumped off the back into the water, and he just never came up.”
Some people are wondering if a medical emergency, such as a heart attack, was a factor, she said Monday.
Searchers found Poettker’s body about two and a half hours after he disappeared, according to a news release Saturday evening from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
An autopsy was conducted Sunday by the Western Kentucky Regional Medical Examiner’s Office in Madisonville, which was working for the Trigg County Coroner’s Office.
“We won’t know what happened until autopsy and toxicology results come back,” said Sgt. Daniel Richardson, state conservation officer for District 1. “And toxicology results are taking about 10 weeks now because the medical examiner’s office changed vendors for blood work. They’re about 10 weeks behind.”
Funeral arrangements for Poettker were expected to be announced Tuesday. They’re being made at Moss Funeral Home, which has locations in Breese, Germantown and Trenton.
Poettker Construction has been operating in Breese for 41 years. It has about 200 employees and a second location in Charlotte, North Carolina. Management includes sons Kevin, Ryan and Keith Poettker, daughter Kim Luitjohan and longtime employees Tom Albers and Jon Carroll.
Breese mayor Kevin Timmermann called Charles Poettker an “icon of the town.”
“They’re an excellent family,” he said. “They’re top-notch. They’re very community oriented. They take care of Clinton County because Clinton County has taken care of them. They do quality work. They know how to run a business.”
Regulars at Kentucky Lake
Poettker was the sixth fatality this year on District 1 bodies of water in western Kentucky, including the Ohio River, Tennessee River, Mississippi River, Cumberland River, Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake.
Last week, a 31-year-old man died on Lake Barkley after his boat hit a large wave, threw him overboard and then ran over him.
Poettker and his wife, Linda, were regulars at Kentucky Lake.
“He kept his boat at the marina,” Richardson said. “The (Sedan Ridge) they had was 47 feet. It had sleeping quarters and a kitchen, so they probably stayed on the boat on weekends.”
The boat was anchored in the Sugar Bay area of Trigg County about 3 p.m. Saturday, when Poettker jumped off the rear swim platform into the water and disappeared, according to the news release from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. He wasn’t wearing a life jacket.
The department launched a search after a friend called 911, Chief Communications Officer Kevin Kelly said Monday.
“Our fish and wildlife officers are on the water, so they responded,” he said. “They have sonar equipment on their boat. They began searching (for Poettker), but there are other county search and rescue squads in the area. I’m not sure when they arrived at the scene.”
Divers found Poettker’s body about 5:30 p.m., the news release stated.
Poettker Construction announced his death Sunday on its website, including the following statement from Keith Poettker, who serves as company president:
“It is with great sadness and the heaviest of heart that I announce the passing of my father and role model, Chuck Poettker. Under his outstanding leadership, Poettker Construction has built millions of quality relationships and buildings and has grown to be recognized as a premier construction firm and best place to work.”
The post credited Poettker with “fostering and maintaining a culture of respect, honesty, courtesy and teamwork.”
It also noted that Poettker served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He earned a bronze star for heroism in 1971, when his unit was ordered to rescue two door gunners and recover the bodies of the pilot and co-pilot of a downed helicopter in Laos.
‘One of the good guys’
Nearly 300 people have commented on Poettker Construction’s Facebook page since Poettker’s death was announced Sunday.
They describe him as kind, generous, “one of the good guys,” compassionate, positive, fun, a “true gentleman,” accomplished, an admired business and family man and a “staple in the construction industry.”
Several people have referred to his favorite line: “I’m having my best day since yesterday.”
“The response has been overflowing,” said Freinberg, of Black Twig Marketing + Communications in Clayton, Missouri.
Facebook commenters include Chris Funston, 52, of Wentzville, Missouri. Poettker hired him in 2007, when he was “desperately” looking for work after being laid off his home-building job during the market collapse.
Funston had no experience in commercial construction or governmental contracts, which make up the bulk of Poettker Construction’s business.
“(Chuck) took a giant leap of faith by offering me a position that he didn’t even have open,” Funston said. “He was basically creating a spot just because he had a gut feeling that I might be a good fit with the company.”
Funston worked 10 years for Poettker, rising to the level of senior project manager, before leaving to take a position that involved less traveling.
Funston still considers Poettker the best boss he ever had, teaching him not only about the construction business, but also about balancing personal and professional life. He remembers Poettker once reminding him that he shouldn’t be sending work-related emails on Sundays.
“He really cared about his employees,” Funston said. “He knew all my kids’ names, my wife. He made it a point to go around and greet every person in the office every morning. He made every single person in that building feel like family.”
Poettker began his career in 1972 as an apprentice carpenter and took night classes in construction management at Belleville Area College, now Southwestern Illinois College. He founded Poettker Construction in 1980.
The company reached three big milestones in 2019. It reported record-breaking revenues of 30% over the previous year, completed a new 40,000-square-foot headquarters in Breese and opened a second location in Charlotte, where Keith Poettker now lives.
Local and county officials worked hard to help the company come up with a package of government financial incentives to keep its headquarters in Breese, according to the mayor.
After Charles Poettker’s death, Timmermann said, “We’ve lost a man who built a company that Clinton County is very proud of.”
JUNE 22, 10:07 a.m.: A Poettker Construction spokesperson originally told the BND that Charles Poettker and his wife were on the boat with another couple when he disappeared. The company has since clarified that the Poettkers were alone on the boat.
This story was originally published July 20, 2021 at 10:47 AM.
