Charles Masterson Starks

Dr. Charles ("Charlie") Chester Masterson Starks passed away peacefully, his wife by his side, on September 29, 2025.

A memorial service celebrating Charles' life will be held Saturday, October 18th, 2025, 2:00 PM, at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 1904 North Pecan Road, Ponca City, Oklahoma, 74604. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Trout Funeral Home and Crematory, 505 W. Grand, Ponca City, Oklahoma 74601.

Charles was born in Wapanucka, Oklahoma, on October 25, 1934, to Cecil Masterson Starks and Bessie Lowe Starks (later Bessie Lowe Rivers). He was the third child: his older sisters were Anita (Starks) Champeau and Bernice (Starks) Wilson. Charles and his sisters grew up and went to school in small towns around Oklahoma as his father moved for available oilfield jobs, later gravitating to Oklahoma City for work during World War II. Charles was proud to have graduated in 1952 from Central High School in Oklahoma City. Central High School was Oklahoma's first high school established after statehood.

His Boy Scout experiences were meaningful to him, including the motto he adopted as his own of "Be Prepared."

While in high school, Charles participated in the chemistry club and the Red Shirt pep club. In his senior year of high school, he was the business manager for the Cardinal yearbook. His mentor, "Pop" Miller, encouraged him to pursue his interest in chemistry by starting his undergraduate work at the University of Oklahoma.

His boyhood accidents were legendary among his family, and Charles did his part to keep the legends going. It never got dull hearing about how he'd managed to splash potassium permanganate on his face. That time, the only damage was a non-toxic but purple face and a big scare for his mother. If the Oklahoma City hospitals' ER departments had had a frequent flyer program, Charles would have been a charter member.

Fascinated by chemistry since he first read about it in seventh or eighth grade, Charles financed his college education with summer work, a Sears & Roebuck scholarship, and an ROTC scholarship. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor's degree in chemistry, earning membership in Phi Beta Kappa. He couldn't afford the joining fee, but his employer, Mrs. Reeves, paid for it. He then earned a PhD in organic chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Before entering MIT, he worked during the summer of 1956 at Dow Chemical in Midland, Michigan. In Midland, he met the charming organizer of a young Methodist singles group, Virginia Ann Kosht. He soon proposed to her. Although they initially planned to delay marrying until Charles finished his first year at MIT, Charles asked Virginia to get married earlier so she could join him in Boston. Thus, they wed only a few months after they'd met, on December 29, 1956.

Charles and Virginia had been married for nearly seventy years at the time of his death. They loved and supported one another beyond measure, always an incredible example for their children.

Their first daughter, Laura Ann Starks, was born in Boston, Massachusetts in August 1958, while Charles worked on his PhD and Virginia worked for the education department at Harvard University.

After completing his chemistry PhD in 1959, Charles interviewed and was accepted for a job as a research chemist at Continental Oil Company (now ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66) in Ponca City, Oklahoma, for an initial five months. Next, fulfilling his ROTC obligation for the Army Reserve, he served six months' active duty as a chemist in the Aberdeen Proving Grounds at Havre de Grace, Maryland. He and Virginia then moved to Ponca City in early August 1960. Their second daughter, Linda Rae Starks (later Linda Rae Lewis), was born in Ponca City on August 29, 1960.

Their third child, Craig Masterson Starks, was also born in Ponca City, on Christmas Day, December 25, 1962.

Charles was an amateur painter, an enthusiastic sailboat sailor, and, as was typical for men and women of his generation, a do-it-yourselfer for everything from laying a cement brick patio to designing and having built two of the three houses he and Virginia lived in during their sixty-plus years in Ponca City.

Throughout his life, Charles found considerable excitement and fulfillment in his work as a research chemist. He was promoted to manager and then group leader at Conoco during his twenty-six years there. In the last six years of his career, he was the vice president of research (for Vista Chemical, now part of Sasol). Still, he always found the most joy in lab work. His lifelong emphasis on both applied research and creativity in all endeavors is manifested in the more than 75 U.S. patents he earned. He was particularly recognized for his discoveries in the field of free radical telomerization and-in the field he originated, named, and was best known for in chemistry circles--phase transfer catalysis.

He is the author of two books on phase transfer catalysis and the editor of a third. His work in this area is still studied today in colleges and universities, including in foundational organic chemistry textbooks.

The American Chemical Society recognized Charles as an Oklahoma Chemist of the Year. His research scientist peers twice nominated him for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The second time, he was long-listed for the Nobel.

After retiring from Vista Chemical in 1985, Charles opened a small consulting business, Cimarron Consulting. For a time, the couple had a second residence and business office in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Charles and Virginia enjoyed many golf trips as well as extensive travels with friends, visiting virtually all countries in western Europe, Russia, Japan and-when Linda lived abroad with her family for a year-Malaysia, Australia, and New Zealand. They also took river trips in the US, Europe, and Russia. Since he had already traveled considerably for work-to Japan, Belgium, and Hong Kong-Virginia was glad that he still wanted to travel after retirement.

Charles was predeceased by his sisters and his parents, by his daughter, Linda Starks Lewis, and by his son, Craig Masterson Starks.

Charles is survived by his wife, Virginia Starks of the home; his daughter, Laura Ann Starks (spouse Joe Dannenmaier) of Dallas, Texas; son-in-law Greg Lewis of Chandler, Arizona; sister-in-law Marvel Kosht Wolken (spouse Rick Wolken) of Canon City, Colorado, as well as six grandchildren and their families, including four great-grandchildren. His grandchildren are Matthew Aaron Lewis of Chandler, Arizona; Christopher Masterson Starks (spouse Kelly Starks) of Fort Worth, Texas; Bethany Olivia Starks (spouse Johnny Gonzalez) of Fort Worth, Texas; Craig Masterson Starks II of Dallas, Texas; Katherine Starks Dannenmaier (spouse Dr. Andrew Werner) of Houston, Texas; and William Starks Dannenmaier (spouse Eve Skosey-LaLonde) of Portland, Oregon. The great-grandchildren are Madilyn Gonzalez, Chuck Starks, Valerie Starks, and Roman Gonzalez.

He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews and their families, including Beverly Coggins (spouse Robert Coggins) of Bozeman, Montana; Larry Champeau (spouse Debbie Champeau) of Norman, Oklahoma; Mark Champeau of Norman, Oklahoma; Denise Richardville (and spouse Dean Richardville) of Ponca City, Oklahoma; and great-niece Dr. Christen Ground, (spouse Dr. J.W. Ground) and their children, of Ponca City, Oklahoma.

Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of North Central Oklahoma (445 Fairview Avenue, Ponca City, Oklahoma 74601), Ponca City Meals on Wheels (care of Connie Peterson, 8280 East South Avenue, Ponca City, Oklahoma 74604), or St. Paul's United Methodist Church of Ponca City.