Charles Jay "CJ" Oxley, formerly of Traverse City, lost his battle to depression on February 29, 2016 in the town of Lake Placid, Florida, where he had recently relocated.

He was born on April 25, 1959 to Reba Adaline (Dougherty) Oxley and Charles Albert "Chuck" Oxley in Mt. Carmel, Illinois.

CJ lived his first few years in Robinson, Illinois and Baton Rouge, Louisiana before moving to Glen Ellyn, Illinois for his early schooling years. He was an avid and dedicated football player for Glenbard West High School. After high school he attended the University of Illinois and graduated with his Bachelors in Business Administration.

He married his first wife, Meg Griffith of Naperville, Illinois in 1986. Upon moving to Northern Michigan for one of his various occupations, they celebrated the birth of their two children Sarah and Matthew Oxley. He enjoyed playing basketball, taking beautiful photographs of nature, and countless hours of fishing with his family on Long Lake.

CJ was preceded in death by his father, Chuck Oxley. His kindness and love for others lives on in his mother Adaline Oxley, his wife of seventeen years, Vicki Oxley, his children Sarah and Matthew Oxley and his brother Roger Oxley. He will be missed by numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

With an unprecedented work ethic, CJ had a gregarious and never-ending sense of humor, contagious laugh, and endless love for those with special needs. He was a man who encouraged others, wanting and expecting nothing in return.

A memorial service at Linwood Cemetery will be held for immediate family and close friends at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 3803 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203, or to a charity of your choice.