Carl David Maxwell was born in 1944 and was called Dave until a high school friend dubbed him "Charlie Maxwell" after the legendary Detroit Tigers baseball player. The nickname stuck.
Charlie's life epitomized one of his favorite quotes "Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart, give yourself to it." And did he ever!
Overcoming a speech impediment as a teenager, Charlie graduated from Bradley College in Peoria and embarked on a long career as a financial planner, most recently with Morgan Stanley. Although he often said he'd work forever and never retire, Charlie was much more than his work, perhaps evidenced by his 1973 red Corvette?
At the center of his world was Diane whom he married in 1981. Many friends have aptly described their marriage as one of the World's Greatest Love Stories. Chicago was their home. Where their lives often included his two children Lisa and Blake expanding to include three grandchildren.
In his 40s, Charlie embarked on a journey of amazing feats: He trained for and ran four marathons (including Boston and NY), swam the "Escape from Alcatraz," cycled across the Golden Gate Bridge, participated in triathlons and Iron Man competitions, rafted the Salmon River, rock-climbed a couple of mountains - and in between all this -- he fell in love with golf and checked off a few more boxes at Pebble Beach and in Scotland.
"Discovering his world" also meant committing to his Christian faith, and he truly gave himself to it - and to others. Charlie's great sense of humor and wickedly sarcastic wit never overshadowed his generosity, leadership and teaching skills, and evangelism. He became involved in several Christian ministries, serving on his church's board of directors and volunteering endless hours in the "Good Sense" program where he mentored men and women on how to manage their finances and to get - and stay - out of debt.
In 2000, Charlie and Diane began trading Chicago winters with the desert sunshine in Rancho Mirage. He continued to discover his world with new friends and plenty of golf, and he founded and led a men's Bible study group with his fellow golfing friends, encouraging them to build a strong faith community. In 2014 Charlie and Diane moved permanently to the desert.
Last year, he and Diane moved into Reata Glen, a retirement community in Orange County. By now, Charlie was living with several debilitating conditions requiring multiple hospital stays and treatments, life adjustments that he accepted with courage, faith and optimism. He even had a favorite Psalm (139) that supported him throughout his life and on his last journey.
Besides his best friend and beloved wife Diane, paramount in shaping Charlie's life were his children Blake and grandson Dean (Bozeman, MT); Lisa Weis, her husband Brian and their children Katie and Jack (Chicago). Charlie will also be missed by his sister Jan in Florida.
Memorial donations in Charlie's name may be made to Heifer International.
Charlie's life epitomized one of his favorite quotes "Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart, give yourself to it." And did he ever!
Overcoming a speech impediment as a teenager, Charlie graduated from Bradley College in Peoria and embarked on a long career as a financial planner, most recently with Morgan Stanley. Although he often said he'd work forever and never retire, Charlie was much more than his work, perhaps evidenced by his 1973 red Corvette?
At the center of his world was Diane whom he married in 1981. Many friends have aptly described their marriage as one of the World's Greatest Love Stories. Chicago was their home. Where their lives often included his two children Lisa and Blake expanding to include three grandchildren.
In his 40s, Charlie embarked on a journey of amazing feats: He trained for and ran four marathons (including Boston and NY), swam the "Escape from Alcatraz," cycled across the Golden Gate Bridge, participated in triathlons and Iron Man competitions, rafted the Salmon River, rock-climbed a couple of mountains - and in between all this -- he fell in love with golf and checked off a few more boxes at Pebble Beach and in Scotland.
"Discovering his world" also meant committing to his Christian faith, and he truly gave himself to it - and to others. Charlie's great sense of humor and wickedly sarcastic wit never overshadowed his generosity, leadership and teaching skills, and evangelism. He became involved in several Christian ministries, serving on his church's board of directors and volunteering endless hours in the "Good Sense" program where he mentored men and women on how to manage their finances and to get - and stay - out of debt.
In 2000, Charlie and Diane began trading Chicago winters with the desert sunshine in Rancho Mirage. He continued to discover his world with new friends and plenty of golf, and he founded and led a men's Bible study group with his fellow golfing friends, encouraging them to build a strong faith community. In 2014 Charlie and Diane moved permanently to the desert.
Last year, he and Diane moved into Reata Glen, a retirement community in Orange County. By now, Charlie was living with several debilitating conditions requiring multiple hospital stays and treatments, life adjustments that he accepted with courage, faith and optimism. He even had a favorite Psalm (139) that supported him throughout his life and on his last journey.
Besides his best friend and beloved wife Diane, paramount in shaping Charlie's life were his children Blake and grandson Dean (Bozeman, MT); Lisa Weis, her husband Brian and their children Katie and Jack (Chicago). Charlie will also be missed by his sister Jan in Florida.
Memorial donations in Charlie's name may be made to Heifer International.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Charlie D Maxwell, please visit our flower store.
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