ANDERSON — For Chuck, Lynn and Catherine Staley, being named Family of the Year by the Center for Mental Health is almost an uncomfortable experience.

“We’re honored and, I think, humbled at the same time,” said Chuck Staley, president of the Flagship Enterprise Center. “I can think of dozens of families that are as deserving or even more so. We’re humbled by the whole process.”

“I’m very touched we were even thought about for this,” said Catherine, a Liberty Christian senior and the 17-year-old daughter of Chuck and Lynn.

“I think I’m a little embarrassed,” said Lynn, professor of early childhood education at Ball State University in Muncie.

“It feels a little awkward, if that’s the right word, because we’re not perfect. There is no perfect family. It has to be taken in context.”

That context would be provided by Jack Keesling, who with others has selected the families for this award, now in its 25th year.

“They’re involved with their church, committed to family life, have triumphed over adversity and obstacles, and have contributed to their community for educational purposes,” said Keesling, a longtime friend of Chuck Staley. “We look at those criteria every year.

“We’ve had this award for 25 years, so we go through this every year. And I’ve got to tell you, not that other families haven’t, but this family, they just exceeded our criteria.”

Chuck Staley has been affiliated with Anderson University in various capacities since 1980 and formerly worked as an engineering supervisor for Delco Remy. He is a developer in several businesses and serves on the boards of Community Hospital Anderson, Extreme Defense Systems and others.

Lynn Staley has worked closely with the United Nations Children’s Fund and the U.N. itself on projects benefiting children’s education. In 2002, she attended the first Special Session on Children for the United Nations General Assembly and was a contributing author for a document outlining global criteria for children’s education.

Catherine Staley will be a senior at Liberty Christian in September and serves as an intern at the Flagship Center. She has played basketball and volleyball for the school and belongs to the National Honors Society. She is also president of the student council.

And those are just the highlights.

As for their church, they are all active members of East Side Church of God.

As for that “triumphing over adversity and obstacles” line, unfortunately, the Staleys have that covered, too.

On Labor Day 2001, their son David, then 13, was killed when the mo-ped he was riding was hit by a car. As one might expect, the tragedy was devastating.