Born in Berkeley, California, Charles served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, and then in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. He earned a bachelor’s degrees in physics at Reed, where he wrote his thesis, “Incidence of Neuroticism in Relation to Age, Sex, and Population Density,” with Prof. William Griffith [psychology 1926–54] advising. Charles went on to earn a BS in mechanical engineering from MIT.
He had a 35-year career in rocket engineering, and was accorded a NASA public service award. He and his wife, Jean, retired to Mendocino. Charles loved nature, animals, and the High Sierras. He wrote poetry, essays, a novel, and a book about his mother, who died five days after his birth. He is survived by his children, AlfredLee and Katherine Lee ’76.
