Charles Langslet

1928 - 2019

Charles Robert Langslet Charles Langslet "Bob", our loving father, grandfather, great grandfather and brother, peacefully passed away on April 7, 2019, at the age of 90. Bob lived his life with purpose and loyalty to those he loved. Bob was born July 20, 1928, in Klamath Falls, Oregon to Otto and Lucille Langslet. Subsequently, his family moved to Portland, Oregon, where he attended high school and met the love of his life, Audrey. A year after high school, Audrey moved with her parents to Long Beach, while Bob served with the Army Occupation Forces in Japan. In 1948, when he finished his Army service, he arrived in Long Beach to reunite with Audrey, who had sent him letters every day while he was in Japan. Bob and Audrey were married in 1948 in Long Beach, where they made their home and cherished living together for almost 70 years. In 1950, Bob graduated from Long Beach City College (and in 1985 was inducted into its Hall of Fame.) In 1952, Bob graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southern California, majoring in foreign trade. Paying his way through college while working with general contractors as a bookkeeper, he learned about the building business. Bob, a budding entrepreneur, began in business as a general contractor in 1954, building many apartments, homes and shopping centers. Thereafter, in 1973, C. Robert Langslet & Son was formed. The company received numerous awards, including 31 national and local awards for outstanding achievement in the design and development of over 5,000 luxury condominiums, apartment communities, shopping centers and commercial developments throughout Southern California. Well-known throughout the Southern California civic community, in 1974, Bob was appointed to the California World Trade Commission. In 1979, Bob was appointed to the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners and served as President three times during his 12 years of service. In addition, he was appointed by the United States Trade Representative Carla Hills to serve on the Intergovernmental Policy Advisory Committee. Bob also was a past Chairman of the Board of Directors of St. Mary Medical Center as well as past president of the Boys' Club of Long Beach. Both the National Conference of Christians and Jews and the Long Beach Lung Association honored him with their Humanitarian Awards. A highlight of Bob's life was the complete restoration of his award winning ocean-front estate, Casa Oceana. Bob and Audrey graciously opened Casa Oceana for numerous philanthropic, political and personal events. Bob loved the out-of-doors, a love that developed while he was a forest ranger during high school in Oregon. He passed this love onto his wife, children and grandchildren. Never one to pass up an outdoor adventure, Bob loved backpacking, fishing, hiking, and snow skiing. Along with his family, his biggest hiking adventure was to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Bob was an avid runner (in later years, a walker), beginning in 1967, when he joined a group of like-minded men at the downtown Long Beach YMCA. The group met four times a week for a run and breakfast and ran many races together, including marathons and 10 K's. Up until he became too ill, Bob and the remaining members of the group, religiously continued to meet for a walk and breakfast four days a week. Bob attributed exercise, healthy eating, and this outstandingly consistent comraderie to his long life. Bob was an accomplished private pilot and was rated by the Federal Aviation Administration as an airline transport pilot. He flew his own airplane to Norway, (the homeland of his father), the Bahamas, and Virgin Islands as well as extensively throughout Mexico, Canada and Alaska. Bob generously donated his time by flying health professionals to impoverished areas of Mexico. Bob and Audrey enthusiastically traveled to every continent, sharing with our family stories of adventure, hardship, beauty and compassion. In so doing, they passed on that "wanderlust" to their children and grandchildren, for which we are forever grateful. The love of family was the underpinning of Bob's life. Bob is survived by his children, Craig and Julie; seven grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; his sister, Mary Hansen and his brother, John Langslet. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the Women's Shelter of Long Beach at WSLB, P.O. Box 17098, Long Beach, CA 90807 or www.womenshelterlb.org. Private services are under the direction of All Souls Mortuary, Long Beach, www.allsoulsmortuary.com. Please sign the guestbook at www.presstelegram.com/obits