Charles F. Atlas

Charles F. Atlas Charles F. Atlas died on February 11, 2010. "Bud" to his friends, and at times "Chuck" or "Bo-Pa," was born in San Francisco on December 10, 1917 at Mt. Zion Hospital, but he always considered himself a native of his beloved San Jose. Charles is survived by his sons, Ted (Leta), of San Jose, and Mark (Clifta), of Willows, and grandchildren Beth, Greg, Lindsay and Lauren (Omar), and two great-grandchildren, Elizabeth and Joaquin. Other survivors are his niece, Sharon Diez (Roger), of Dayton, Nevada, grand-niece and nephew Rachel Bennett (Michael) and Donavon Diez, and great-grand nieces Laura, Aubree and Talia, and cousin Mark Atlas (Miriam), of San Jose. The Atlas family were pioneers in early San Jose, arriving in 1915. Charles' grandfather, Jacob Atlas, developed houses and commercial buildings on the Alameda, and founded Atlas Auto Wrecking, an early "recycler." The family also were founding members of Temple Emanu-El. Charles remained a life long member there, and volunteering in the synagogue's office. Charles was educated at Hester School, San Jose High School, and then entered U C Berkeley, where he pledged the Kappa Nu fraternity, and earned a degree in Art History. He enlisted in the Navy and served in the Pacific aboard the USS Sirona, which was a part of the armada that entered Tokyo Bay to witness the surrender of Japan. After the war, Charles formed the first professional social and events planning business in San Francisco. His office was in the same building as the renowned Melvin Belli, who was early in his trial career. Charles often told the story of meeting Belli and his law partner in the elevator after they had won a particularly large verdict. The two lawyers had celebrated so intently they could hardly negotiate the lift. In 1951 Charles moved back to San Jose, where he began a 40-year career as an independent insurance agent. Here he met his wife, June, whom he married in 1949. After retiring, Charles traveled the world, often as a host on cruise ships, where he was able to pursue his greatest love aside from his family, ballroom dancing. His other abiding interest was volunteerism. He and June were founding members of the parents' club at Archbishop Mitty High School. They were also members of the Santa Clara Valley Kennel Club and the Blossom Valley Beagle Club. He served meals and tutored at InnVision. Charles was a docent at Filoli for two decades, often organizing private tours even after a hip injury required use of a walker. His family, and his many friends, of all ages, were Charles' greatest source of joy, although at age 91, teaching his granddaughters that "cur" was a legitimate Scrabble word ranked high on the list. He never owned a pair of blue jeans. He always preferred coat and tie with a carefully selected and casually folded pocket square. The family is grateful to the people at Atria Willow Glen, where he resided for the last 7 years, and to the staff at the VA hospital in Palo Alto where he received exceptional care in his last days. Memorial contributions may be made to Temple Emanu-El, San Jose, the Santa Clara County Humane Society or the Salvation Army.