Charlie Brown Remembered

Our very good friend, Charlie Brown, passed away Sunday a week ago. You can read all about it on his Caring Bridge Journal and Back story. The memorial service itself was just this past Saturday in Charlotte. His daughter, Charlotte, had asked me to do the eulogy, so I thought I'd present a synopsis of my eulogy here - as an FYI.

I started with a quote: "God pours life into death and death into life without a drop being
spilled." ~Author Unknown

"The Power of Positive Pessimism" by Charlie Brown.
He was a published author. Not many can say that.
Many read it - a lot identified with it - some even saw them selves in it.

I first met Charlie Brown in Charlotte, at Tree Top, 1974. At that time, he was known as the candy man. We did rafting trips (Chattooga twice), mountain trips, road rallies, pig pickings, and beach trips. We also partied - a lot.

He was instrumental in my connecting with Sally and Susan - I knew CB, Sally/Susan knew CB,
but never all together. The Sunday after I had originally met Sally at the beach, we all had planned to gather at a place called Mancino's, a local watering hole. Having met only Sally, and not Susan, and knowing they were twins, I asked CB how to tell which from which. CB said to look for the one with the biggest smile.

2. He was a sailor, 2 years Navy, knew how to sail (Hobie, single masted), and captain a power boat (single screw, double screw) - owned Snoopy, cabin cruiser.

3. He loved to dance:
- Shag
- Disco
- If you watched him, never knew which was which
- C & W two step, learned in Dallas.

4. Talented Amateur photographer
- Wildlife Photos framed in his house
- Raft Up pictures from the Lake Norman 2003 - 04 raft up gatherings.
- Alaskan Cruise scenic pictures taken on our Alaskan Cruise in 2007.

5. Conservative politically - (I leaned to the right to make my point)
- He could out Rush Limbaugh
- Loved to discuss politics
- Used history and facts
- Could go on forever

6. Renaissance Man
- He built his own house as the general contractor.
- Loved good wine, good food, single malt scotch. and a good Cohiba.
- Man of all Seasons (beach in the winter, mountains in the summer)

7. History buff
- especially the SC Coast and Myrtle Beach and Conway.
- Civil War
- knew a lot about this and that, broad range of history.

8. Widely Read
- From Clive Cussler to Bruce Catton to Joel Osteen and Billy Graham, and his Bible.
- Could recite the Charge of the Light Brigade in its entirety from memory.
- Would read 3 - 4 books at a time.
- Loved to go back and re-read older books

9. C.B. was Gentleman and a Gentle Man
- Ladies Man (?) -I thought not. Lots of his really good friends were women.

10. Spiritual - basic faith that comes from the heart & soul.

11. At that point I brought a cigar and waved it at the congregation saying - here's how Charlie would have celebrated. After all, he considered cigar smoking the "Last bastion of Male Chauvinism."

He was was my friend, and sometimes mentor. He will be greatly missed.

CB's is Really Getting OLD!

WOW - that's cruel - but true. Actually 71 these days ain't all that old. It just makes getting around a little harder. And unfortunately, CB's in the hospital right now - so read all about it at his Caring Bridge Site so you can get the whole picture.

Sally, Susan, and I just got back from visiting him, and we had to readmit him to the hospital Friday night for extreme bloating caused by, of all things, his pain meds. So he's back in for a few days until they can get several things corrected.

Stay in touch with Charlie's progress by registering yourself with Caring Bridge. You'll receive email updates whenever he updates his Caring Bridge journal.