Charles William Bardeen

Charles William (Bill) Bardeen passed away surrounded by loved ones on May 30, just a few days shy of his 86th birthday. Bill was born in 1931 in Vicksburg, Michigan to Maxwell D. Bardeen and Kathryn Bardeen (Bennett). He was raised in Vicksburg and Kalamazoo before leaving to attend The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut. He continued on to Yale University, where he lived in Pierson College and was active in intramural sports, especially swimming. He majored in Political Science and graduated in 1954. Bill then served two years in the Army as a Second Lieutenant in an artillery unit stationed in Korea. His hair-raising (and comedic) war stories would give M.A.S.H. a run for its money. Bill took a scenic, adventurous route back to the United States in 1957, taking military transport planes to explore, just to name a few, Cambodia, Baghdad (a knife-throwing show was a favorite) and Paris for his sister’s wedding, and even checking out the opium dens in Bangkok. Upon returning, Bill settled down (a little bit), working at the Simpson Lee Paper Company as a manager and general troubleshooter in Ripon, California. In his free time, he explored the jazz clubs and beatnik scene of the early ‘60s in San Francisco, including seeing the iconic Carol Doda perform at her peak at the Condor Club. Bill returned to Kalamazoo, MI, where he met Mary Vandervelde. They married in 1966 and had four kids. Bill continued to work in Michigan, with stints in retail, consulting, and manufacturing until retiring in 1998. Now divorced, his life came full circle when he moved to a condo near Lake Merritt in Oakland, California in 1998. He embarked on a very busy retirement: He was active in the Oakland art scene, where he volunteered with the Pro-Arts collective and avidly attended as many open studios, art shows and Oakland Art Murmurs as he could. He also volunteered for the Oakland Public Library, the AARP and the Lake Merritt clean-up crew, and served as an election volunteer and treasurer of his condo association. Possessed of a dry wit and penetrating intelligence, Bill was curious about everyone and everything. He read widely, followed politics closely, and delighted in his work, his friends, and his children and grandchildren. Bill is preceded in death by his sister Evelyn and his parents, and is survived by his sister Helen Andrejevic and brothers Maxwell and Norman Bardeen; his son Chris (Kerry Hanson) Bardeen, his daughters Jenny (Bryce Nelson) Bardeen, Sarah (Patrick McCully) Bardeen, and Kathryn (Sean Sandell) Bardeen; and seven grandchildren (with one more on the way): Owen and Clara Bardeen, Reece and Keziah Nelson, Liam McCully and Hannah Bardeen, and Elizabeth Grace and Baby Sandell. Bill was beloved by his immediate family and extended Bay Area family as a thoughtful, compassionate and considerate man. He will be deeply missed. His family asks that you enjoy and celebrate the people around you, their idiosyncrasies, humor and individuality as well as the unexpected art and music they inspire – just as Bill did. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you consider a donation to the American Lung Association.