Charles C. Wynn
February 2, 1929 - February 28, 2018
Charles C. Wynn passed away Wednesday, February 28, 2018 at home in San Rafael at the age of 89.
He was born in Philadelphia, the eldest son of Charters Redmond Wynn II and Mary Bliss Wynn. His brother William also preceded him in death. Charles attended the LaSalle College High School in Philadelphia, where he began his lifelong career in rowing, mentored by Olympic gold medalist John B. Kelly. After a stint in the army, he left the east coast for the University of Washington, and there he continued his pursuit of rowing on the Huskies lightweight crew team. There he also met his first wife, Joan Argenbright. In 1953 they relocated to Santa Clara and Charles went to work in advertising for the San Jose Mercury News. It was in Santa Clara and Palo Alto that he raised his pride and joy, his active family of six sons.
Charles began a long and successful career of marketing for notable building and civil engineering firms, which led to work and travel around the world. Among his most interesting projects was the new capitol building of the Federated States of Micronesia, located in the Caroline Islands on Pohnpei. His work there inspired a love of travel all over the South Pacific and the tropics.
In 1965 together with Mark Pisano he co-founded and coached the Santa Clara University rowing team, to a league victory in their first year. Fifty years later in 2015 he was honored to be inducted into the SCU Athletic Hall of Fame for his years of dedication to the rowing program. Charles was also called to LaSalle High in Philadelphia in 2015 for induction into the Athletic Hall of Fame in recognition of his crew team of 1946, undefeated in their league. A lifelong oarsman, he continued to row his double shell with rowing partner George Santich, well into his 80’s.
He pursued his many interests as a member of several boards, including the San Francisco Habitat, the California Trolley and Rail Corp., Marin Ecumenical Housing, and the Richmond Museum of History for the restoration of the S.S. Red Oak Victory. He enjoyed a long career of singing baritone with the S.F. men’s Russian choir, Slavyanka, traveling and performing in Russia on several choir tours.
In 1988 after a divorce, Charles married Beverly Olmsted in Marin, and with her two grown children they combined their families with eight children between them. Then followed thirty years of lively family times all over the country, adventurous travel, and making dreams come true. Charles had long wished to travel by train across the six continents, and with Beverly he made that dream a reality, along with traveling around the world making and visiting friends, and especially returning many times to the South Pacific and Polynesia.
Charley Wynn loved life to the fullest, and it was recently said of him, “In life, Charley carved a wide arc,” and that was true.
He is survived by his dearly loved wife Beverly, and by his beloved six sons, Charters of Austin, his wife Joan, Christopher of Richmond, VA, his wife Brenda, Bruce of Seattle, his wife Karen, Bryan of Prunedale, his wife Ellen, David of Sunriver, OR, and Daniel of Seattle, and his wife Jay. He also leaves his much loved stepdaughter and stepson, Elise Sambrano of San Rafael, her husband Gil, and Jonathan Olmsted of San Rafael, and his wife Susan. He is survived by seven adored grandchildren, Max and Joel Wynn, Jesse Wynn and his wife Nicole, Rebecca Wynn, and Angela and Elena Sambrano, and Clara Olmsted.
The memorial service for Charles will take place 2:00 p.m., Saturday, March 10, 2018 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Ross, at the corner of Lagunitas and Shady Lane. Assisted by Monte’s Chapel of the Hills, San Anselmo.