posted 11-17-2023 11:39 AM               

Charles graduated from Penn State, enlisted in the US Army and served in South Korea. After an honorable discharge, he joined the Seattle Post-Intelligencer as a reporter. He then began his long NASA career as a NASA public affairs officer (PAO), first at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. He was a PAO for the Viking Mars program, and he and his wife named their first child Leif after the Viking explorer Leif Erikson.

In 1980, Charles moved with his family to Washington, DC to work at NASA Headquarters, and was assigned to the upcoming Space Shuttle program. As a member of the press corps, I can promise you Charles was one of the best NASA PAOs reporters could deal with. He was extremely knowledgeable, always helpful and friendly. He staffed many shuttle launches and then would travel to Houston. He's been quoted as a NASA spokesman in publications around the world.

The best thing about Charles from a reporter's point of view is he would always tell you the truth, even if not for attribution (something the higher-ups were not always thrilled about, especially during the Challenger investigation), and he was never comfortable about the public secrecy imposed for DOD missions. It was because of his tip that I broke the news in 1989 that Richard Truly would become NASA administrator. We had a running joke where I would introduce him to non-space types as "my friend Ben Guerir" (a shuttle TAL site!).

After retiring from NASA HQ 21 years ago, Charles returned to Seattle and became involved in a wide range of community, music and art initiatives, including running for the Seattle City Council. Throughout his life, he was a creative artist – painting, drawing, constructing mobiles, making sculptures and taking photos. He was truly a one-of-a-kind Renaissance man.