Tow-truckin' for Chuck
A tow-truck procession to a memorial service honors Chuck Morehouse, owner of Nine-T-Nine, Buck's and Eagle towing companies
By Barbara Sherman 
Jaime Valdez / The Times
HONORING ONE OF THE BEST
Tigard police lead a caravan of 38 tow trucks along Main Street in Tigard on Saturday on the way to a memorial service in Sherwood for Chuck Morehouse, who
owned Nine-T-Nine, Buck's and Eagle towing companies. Morehouse, who was highly respected and popular in the tow truck industry, died Jan. 10, and
drivers wanted to honor one of their own.
A seemingly endless line of tow trucks parading through Tigard and Tualatin to Sherwood on Saturday afternoon aroused the curiosity of many drivers and pedestrians along the route.
The tow truck drivers, who were escorted by Tigard police officers, were honoring Chuck Morehouse, the owner of Nine-T-Nine Towing, Buck's Towing and Eagle Towing, who died Dec. 10.
The 38 tow trucks in the procession started at Nine-T-Nine Towing at the north end of Pacific Highway, proceeded southwest to Cipole Road in Tualatin to Tualatin-Sherwood Road, and then to Oregon Street in Sherwood to the Sherwood Senior Center, where a memorial service was held.
"I can say his memorial service was extremely emotional for everybody there," said Mark Higgins, who worked for Morehouse. "Even people who worked with Chuck when he got into the business many years ago, and police officers who worked with him 27 years ago, were there.
"Tigard police officers told me that they do not normally offer their honor guard to anyone who is not a police officer, but they sent a contingent to his service because he has done so much for the community."
Higgins, who sent out notices to tow truck drivers to join Saturday's procession, had to organize the convoy at Nine-T-Nine, get everyone out on the street and lock up the place before he could leave.
"I wanted to make a video of the tow truck procession, but I could never get up to the front of the line," he said. "I was in radio contact with the front vehicle, and I finally had them hold up on Cipole so I could get to the front."
For Higgins, giving Morehouse the proper send-off was personal.
"Chuck was not just my boss, he was a very, very dear friend," he said. "He stood by me during my cancer treatment. I tried to do for him what he would have done for me."
Morehouse was a responsible businessman who earned the respect of his employees, peers in the industry and local law-enforcement agencies, according to Higgins.
For example, towing companies sometimes end up with vehicles that are not worth much in monetary amounts but are useful for a variety of training purposes, he said.
"Chuck would donate cars to be used for mock crashes at schools or for Mothers Against Drunk Driving demonstrations," Higgins said. "He would let cars be used to hide drugs for drug-sniffing dogs to use as part of their training. He took cars to public-safety fairs. He would do whatever he could. He loved supporting these causes."
Morehouse was born April 14, 1948, in Olympia, Wash., and grew up there. He got into the tow truck business more than 30 years ago in Olympia and had worked in the southwest metro area for more than 15 years.
He was a proud supporter of the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum in Chattanooga, Tenn. He served as its secretary and made many trips to Chattanooga to volunteer.
Morehouse was a nationally certified emergency medical technician and was a certified level 4/5 Wreck Master, receiving the honor of being voted "Student of the Class."
"Mr. Morehouse was a compassionate and caring employer, treating his employees as family," stated his obituary. "He initiated a benefit program for his employees unsurpassed in the industry."
Morehouse also was a member of BPOE Lodge 2342 in Sherwood and was partial to charities serving the needs of children.
Morehouse and his wife Shirley owned the local towing businesses for the last 14 years, including Nine-T-Nine, which is one of the oldest in Oregon. Shirley is committed to continuing to make the companies a positive influence in the community, Higgins said.
But Saturday was a day for remembering.
"Chuck was always very picky about his equipment," Higgins said. "I was standing on the back of a service truck to take photos, and when I got down, I fell. In the back of my mind, I could hear Chuck say, 'Get off my truck. Get off the canopy. Get off the truck before you get hurt.'
"That was his last laugh with me."
Saturday's events went off without a hitch, and Higgins said that he is grateful for all the support and help he received at every turn.
"I want to say from the friends and family of Chuck, we offer a heartfelt thanks to the Tigard Police Department for supplying the
honor guard and providing the traffic control," Higgins said. "When I looked back at the procession on Cipole, all I could see was an ocean of
lights. I was awestruck."
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