Charles B. Roe Jr.

1932 - 2025

Charles "Charlie" Barnett Roe, Jr. passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family in his home on October 6th, 2025.

Charlie was born on June 25, 1932, at Tacoma General Hospital to Charles Brown Roe & Gladys Luvena (Harding) Roe. He attended Bryant & Grant Grade Schools, Mason Junior High, & graduated from Stadium High School in 1949, where he was a proud starting forward on the Varsity Ice Hockey team during its two year run as a school sport.

After high school, Charlie attended the College of Puget Sound (CPS), now University of Puget Sound, where he flourished both academically & socially. He joined the Kappa Sigma fraternity, was elected pledge class president, & won the campus ping pong championship.

It was during college that he pursued the love of his life, Marilyn Marie Quam, a 1950 Stadium honor graduate & executive secretary at Weyerhaeuser. The two were married on July 31, 1954, at Tacoma's First Congregational Church-a partnership that would span more than 70 years.

Shortly after graduating in 1953, Charlie was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force in 1954. After being declared ineligible for flight school at AFB San Antonio (due to allergies), he was assigned to Eglin AFB, Panama City, Florida for flight controller school. He went on to serve with honor as a supply officer at Blaine Air Force Station in Birch Bay, WA, supporting the 757th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron.

Charlie's pursuit of justice & public service led him to study law, first at UC Berkeley's Boalt Hall & then the University of WA, where he graduated in 1960. Inspired by professors Sho Sato & Ralph Johnson, Charlie discovered his passion for water & environmental law-a calling that would define the next six decades of his professional life.

He joined the WA State Attorney General's Office under John J. O'Connell & quickly rose to lead the Water & Related Resources Section, eventually establishing what is now the Department of Ecology. Charlie's dedication to protecting WA's natural resources shaped state policy for generations to come. Of note, he was responsible for drafting & lobbying into law the Shoreline Management Act, dramatically reducing pollution levels in the Puget Sound & protecting the waters to this day.

In 1990, Charlie resigned from the Attorney General's office & joined Perkins Coie, a large Seattle-based international law firm, where he continued to practice environmental & water resource law until 2008. A highlight during that time was helping the Seattle Mariners secure water rights for their new stadium. Still not completely retired, Charlie continued to represent and consult for several longtime clients- including the City of Walla Walla, until age 89.

Throughout his life, Charlie wore many hats:

In government, he served all three branches-Executive (Assistant Director, Department of Water Resources), Legislative (House Counsel), & Judicial (Superior Court).

As a teacher, he inspired students at the University of Puget Sound, Gonzaga University, University of WA, & South Puget Sound Community College.

As a board member & civic leader, he contributed to the National Water Commission, the Western States Water Council (appointed by Governors Evans, Ray, Spellman, & Gardner), the WA State Bar Association, the American Bar Association, WA Courts Historical Society, Thurston County Historic Commission, Olympia Historical Society, United Churches of Olympia, & Rotary Club of Olympia, among many others.

Charlie's passions were endless. A sports enthusiast, he loved watching everything from high school soccer to Mariners baseball. He delighted in calling his "baby brother" Harding to watch games "together" over the phone. With camcorder in hand, he documented every family event-from piano recitals to birthday parties. He enjoyed travel, especially family road trips in the station wagon with the windows down & a baseball game on the radio, & later, cruises & visits to Scotland to see his daughter & grandchildren.

He found joy in the simple things: tending raspberry bushes, grafting apple trees, feeding birds with scraps of old bread, & carefully rescuing spiders (never to be squished!) & rats! He was a true animal lover, always choosing kindness-even toward pests.

Charlie was also a political enthusiast, proudly displaying both Republican & Democratic signs in his yard. Though a lifelong Democrat (with FDR's portrait above the fireplace), two of his favorite bosses were Republicans: Attorney General Slade Gorton & Governor Dan Evans. He was particularly proud of his daughter Jeannine's eight years on the Olympia City Council, doorbelling to support her campaigns-& celebrating her victories precinct by precinct.

He loved history-especially family history. Long before ancestry websites existed, Charlie traced his family lineage back to Charlemagne using a treasured circular genealogy chart from Salt Lake City. His heart remained rooted in Oregon, where he spent childhood summers on the family farm near Gaston-a place of cherished memories.

Charlie was a brilliant man-cheerful, optimistic, & endlessly curious. He had high expectations, especially for his children & grandchildren, always nudging them toward higher education, advanced degrees, & asking his signature question of everyone: "Where did you go to school?"

He made friends wherever he went, & his father-in-law said he was like a happy dog that never stopped wagging his tail. Never cranky, rarely strict (that was Mom's job, he'd say), he brought joy into every room & warmth into every conversation.

Charlie is survived by his beloved wife, Marilyn, the love of his life. He was the proud father of Sharon Roe (husband Gerard DeGroot) & Jeannine Roe, & a doting grandfather to Allison Dellwo (husband Casey Meehan), Julia Bloom (husband Benjamin Davis-Bloom), Natalie DeGroot, & Joshua DeGroot. He also adored his great-grandchildren: Parker & Sophie Bloom, Adeline & Eloise Meehan. He is also survived by his brother Harding Roe (wife Cristina), nieces Juliana Roe, Catherine (Roe) Johnson, & nephew Thomas Charles T.C. Roe.

Charlie's family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to Janet Sanford & her care team-Ana, Celia, Dory, Elsie, Kuki, Neria, Paulina, Sylvia, Venus, & Yana-for their extraordinary kindness, patience, & care during Charlie's final years. The family would also like to thank the caring staff at Assured Hospice for their additional support.

Funeral services will be held on November 8th at 3 p.m. at United Churches of Olympia with a reception to follow at the South Sound Manor, 455 North Street SE, Olympia. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Olympia Historical Society (olympiahistory.org) or Olympia Ecosystems (olyecosystems.org) in his honor.