Charles “Charlie” Brown passed peacefully on Christmas morning in Phoenix, Arizona. Although born in Quitman, Arkansas in 1939, he considered Sonoma County, and specifically Healdsburg, to be his home. Until his health began to fail, he could be seen walking daily from his home in the Riverview Community through the Downtown Plaza, greeting his friends and neighbors. He loved the weekly music in the plaza, and always had chairs positioned for family and friends.
Charles and his parents, Milton and Winnie, moved from Arkansas in the 1950s to Graton, California where he met his future wife, Fredda. Charles graduated from Analy High School and entered the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, serving his country for four years prior to returning to Sonoma County. He loved to share the memories of his time in the Army, often crediting his time in the military as the place where he learned to meet and respect people of different backgrounds. With his outgoing and engaging personality, Charles found his professional calling as a Hospitality Representative at Italian Swiss Colony Winery in Asti, California where he worked for 22 years while simultaneously serving as a Union Trustee for Teamsters Local #624.
Charlie married his second wife Irene and moved to the Riverview Community in Healdsburg. They enjoyed traveling and especially loved their trips to the Hawaiian Islands.
Charlie loved people and gardening. He took pride in his local community garden plot that he worked tirelessly, demonstrating a green thumb shared from his mother. He also enjoyed sharing the bounty that he was able to grow. If you were on his walking route, you probably received a few vegetables over the years.
Charles is pre-deceased by his parents, his wife Fredda, and his second wife, Irene. He is survived by his daughter Patricia Borrero (David), his son Michael (Joann), his granddaughters Nancy and Holly and his grandsons, Alexander and Zachary. He is also survived by four great grandchildren.
Charles will be laid to rest in a small graveside service at Sebastopol Memorial Lawn Cemetery.
