Charles Saunders Adam

1924 - 2020

Charles Saunders Adam August 26, 1924 - July 30, 2020 Charles Saunders Adam passed away peacefully at home at the age of 95. He was born in San Rafael, California to Martha Adams Saunders and Harry Galt Adam, and raised during his youngest years by his grandparents, Capt. Charles W. Saunders and Edith D. Jory. Charlie came of age during the Great Depression, and went to work part-time at the age of nine. His first job was selling magazines door to door in San Rafael. Always eager to follow in the footsteps of his sea captain grandfather, Charlie left San Rafael High School in 1941 to join the United States Maritime Service. He was discovered to be underage just before his graduation, which dashed his hopes of joining the U.S. Merchant Marine service, but led to a lengthy career with Standard Oil of California, now known as Chevron. He began as an ordinary seaman in Richmond, CA in 1942, and in 1967 was sent to The Hague, Netherlands as Manager of Operations of the Netherlands Pacific Tanker Company. In The Hague, Charlie met Willy den Hollander, and they married in 1969. He continued to manage Chevron's shipping operations in the Netherlands for many years, and in 1979 took on management of their shipping operations in the United Kingdom as well. Charlie returned to California with his family in 1983, and retired from Chevron in 1990 as Port Superintendent of Richmond. But his first love was oil tankers, and he was never one to sit still, so he spent his "retirement" working at the Port of Benicia to monitor tanker operations. He retired a second time in 2014, at the age of 90. He was a 70-year member of the Marin Lodge No. 191 F. & A.M. Charlie was loved for his sweet nature, charming personality, and constant use of "Dad jokes." He spent many a weekend of his retirement baking with his granddaughters or holding their baby dolls while they adorned him with floppy hats and jewelry. A beloved husband, father, brother, and grandfather, Charlie is survived by his wife, Willy; brother Tom (Naomi); sons Donald (Betty) and Fred (Janet); daughters Larissa (Mailisha) and Melinda (Kevan); granddaughters Rebecca, Jessica, Elly, Rania, Charley, and Soraya; and several great-grandchildren. We will forever miss him, and are grateful to have enjoyed his presence for so many years. Whenever we asked how his day was, Charlie would say, "I've had a glorious and productive day!" and we can confidently say that looking back, he would declare that he had a glorious and productive life.