Charles Barragan

November 6, 1958 - March 23, 2019

Charles Barragan left this world in the early hours of March 23 with the person he loved most by his side, his partner of 22 years, Maureen O’Neil.

An avid reader of, well, everything, and a prolific writer, Charles would have been two-finger typing his heart out on this piece if he’d any idea it needed to be written so soon. Charles was born in San Fernando, CA and grew up in Granada Hills. He moved to San Francisco at 17 to attend the University of San Francisco, making the City by the Bay his forever home. He loved this city even when he didn’t and took advantage of all that it had to offer. Charles was a reader and collector of books; he had a multipaged list that he carried with him everywhere – the most effective way to spend time in any used book store. Author readings were a regular occurrence – complete with first editions to be signed for his extensive collection – and he always knew just where to sit to be first in line for a one-on-one moment with some great writers. He was a writer himself - fictional pieces, sharing dreams he’d had, or helping others live vicariously through his travels with Maureen, near and far. More than anything else in the world, Charles Barragan loved music. He saw countless performances through his life - with Elvis Presley being his first concert back in 1973. His musical interests reflected so much of his personality – varied, mysterious, loyal and always surprisingly not what you would expect. His diverse catalog of music is something to behold. Like the books, there is music in almost every room in his house. The best gift Maureen ever gave him was an iPod - it provided him the opportunity to carry nearly all his music in his pocket and nothing made him happier.

He was endearingly opinionated and strong-willed, but like any consummate HR professional, he maintained a great poker face, open mind and a listening ear. He could be swayed, but not easily.

Charles knew what he loved and indulged generously – trips to the gym followed by a meal at his beloved Puerto Alegre; a Mai Tai celebration just about anywhere; or a meal and wine with his love all brought joy and comfort to him and all who love him because his enjoyment was so apparent in any of these scenarios. He and Maureen loved to travel – their passports filled with stamps from Europe, French Polynesia, Korea, and, most recently, Malta.

In addition to Maureen, Charles is survived by his mother, Teresa (Lara) Barragan; sisters Elizabeth (Timothy) Ott and Genevieve (Preston) Stepper, parents-in-law Jim and Michaela O’Neil, brothersin-law James and Michael O’Neil, and by nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles, and countless friends.

The list of dear friends and colleagues mourning him is long. Our hearts are heavy with Charles’s untimely death and we welcome our community to share in a celebration of his life. A mass will be held for him on Tuesday, July 16 at 10:00 am at St. Ignatius Church at 650 Parker Avenue followed by lunch, cocktails, and stories at Barrelhead Brew House at 1785 Fulton Street.

If desired, donations are encouraged to United Farm Workers (www.ufw.org), Amnesty International (www. amnesty.org), or American Civil Liberties Union (aclu. org). These organizations were ones that Charles donated to regularly and they can always use additional support.