5 March 2008 27 views 3 Comments Print This Post  Email This Post

Uncle Charlie at a Family Reunion in 2000 - wearing a tee-shirt tribute to his Mom Celia Moller

When I was growing up I knew him as my Uncle Sonny!   He was my mother’s younger brother and named after his father.  To me it was just a name, with no conotations and it surprised me that when he became a lawyer he wanted to be called Uncle Charlie.  He was always charming and had a great sense of humor and this he kept right to the end.  He was extremely smart and witty and great to talk about everything with.  I have very warm memories of he and my dad discussing everything from family to politics - usually sitting around the kitchen table.  We were always a large kitchen table family.  When we saw Charlie recently he mentioned how he missed my dad - now gone 25 years - and I hope he and my dad are back together chuckling and discussing kids and elections.  They were both men who were thoroughly engaged with their families long before it became fashionable.  And more than anything they were accepting - whomever and whatever you were they were proud and loved you for it. 

My parents both came from families of 8 children so family gatherings were large, warm and diverse.  My Uncle had 7 children as did my parents so there are many of us to share this very great loss.  And Charlie will be carried in our hearts forever.  And if we are lucky, those smart, handsome, fun genes will continue to thrive in the generations that follow.

My heart goes out to Charlie’s wife, my Aunt Gail and the whole family in the loss of my Uncle Charlie this week.  It is a great loss for us all.

Uncle Charlie with my sister, Dulcie in 2004

Dancing with the bride - my sister Carolyn