Charles Fried

Charlie was an amazing human. I only recently learned of his passing but think of him often. I will never be able to thank him enough for the information he provided on his Stephen King book collection. His sphere of influence, generous heart, and infectious passion for collecting books are where our paths crossed.

Though he chose to remain behind the curtains, his influence could be felt throughout the crowd. You will be dearly missed.

Charlie Fried was an extraordinary person in so many ways. Though his entry in WHO'S WHO filled many inches, his other accomplishments and kindnesses would fill a large book -- and still not match in size his boundless heart. At a Stephen King talk in Bangor, when Charlie found out that some kids couldn't afford to go, he donated money and had dozens of them in the front row. He never asked to be recognized and, in fact, would preferred to remain behind the scenes and anonymous, but if you...

I sold many King books to Charlie over the years. I finally had the pleasure of meeting him in 1998 in Bangor ME. I will always remember his kind heart and warm smile. May God Bless the memory and survivors of Charlie.

I had the pleasure of knowing Charlie first as a customer of the Goldratt Institute and then as one of his partners there for fourteen year.
He was a pleasure to work with - providing humor, insight and direction - all at the right times. He was devoted to many causes and passions - from the Kennedy Center to Steven King. He was an inspiration, as is Denise, on how to handle illness with quiet strength, humor and perseverence.
I will miss you.

My wife and I met Charlie several years ago at a Stephen King reading. We had both heard of each other and looked forward to meeting. We became friends in less then 1 minute.

I will miss our "King" conversations and our spirited bidding competition on Ebay. I will miss the gentleness and inner peace that he conveyed. I am proud to have been called his friend.

Our condolences to Denise and his children.

God Bless, Charlie

While I only had the pleasure of knowing Charlie via e-mail, he was a gentleman and a great provider of information on Stephen King, a passion we both shared.

I am proud that the rarest items in my library came from Charlie's library.

His help and time was greatly appreciated. God Bless you Charlie.

Though we never met face to face, and only spoke on the phone once or twice, Charlie was a great friend of mine for many years, since the first time he got in touch with me by e-mail.

There was so much more to him than he would ever talk about. He preferred to remain behind the scenes, doing his great works often without credit or accolade.

I will miss him.

Charlie was a dear, dear friend and I express my deepest condolences to Deniece and his children. Charlie was one of the finest people I have ever had the privilege to know. He will be greatly missed.

Charlie was my boss for many years at the Institute. He taught me how to think "out of the box" as I approached difficulties at work as well as in my personal life. I put him in touch with author Peter Straub, who was an aquaintance of mine, several years ago so that Charlie could talk about Stephen King who was one of Charlie's greatest passions. Mr. Straub colaborated with King on many endeavors. My condolences to Denise, his children, and his friends.
Donna Direnzo