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1930 Charles 2016

Charles Beadle

January 24, 1930 — March 7, 2016

Charles Wilson Beadle, age 86, died on Monday, March 7th, at his home in Davis, California. Charles Beadle was born on January 24, 1930 in Beverly, Massachusetts, the son of Thomas Beadle and Jean Wilson Beadle. He received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Tufts College in 1951, followed by a master's degree from the University of Michigan in 1954 and a doctoral degree from Cornell University in 1961. He worked as a research engineer at General Motors Research Laboratories in Detroit and at RCA in Princeton, New Jersey, before joining the mechanical engineering faculty at the University of California at Davis in 1961. He was a professor there for thirty years, also serving as department chairman, retiring in 1991.

He married Dorothy Elizabeth Struyk of New Jersey in 1956, whom he met in the Green Mountain Club. They were both avid hikers and shared strong beliefs in nature conservation. After moving to California, Charles and Dorothy took their children on many hiking trips in the Sierras, and the entire family returned to Vermont each summer for many years.

Charles is survived by his three children: Steven Beadle of Arroyo Grande, California and his wife Katy Ayer; Sara Reed of Stowe, Vermont; and Gordon Beadle of Cambridge, Massachussetts and his wife Marina Boni. He is also survived by seven grandchildren. He is predeceased by his brother, Thomas Beadle, Jr. and by his wife, Dorothy (Struyk) Beadle.

Charles will be missed by many, including his family, his Twelfth Street neighbors, his hiking friends, and many former colleagues and students. He deeply loved Davis, particularly Davis Community Church and the Davis Food Co-op, and he treasured the ability to navigate Davis on his three-wheeled bicycle in his later years.

No service is scheduled at this time, but a memorial service will be planned for a future date. Memorial contributions may be made to the Vermont Land Trust at 8 Bailey Avenue, Montpelier, Vermont, 05602.


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