Charles B. Roe Jr.

1932 - 2025

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

Born on June 25, 1932, at Tacoma General Hospital to Charles Brown Roe and Gladys Luvena (Harding) Roe, Charlie attended Bryant and Grant Grade Schools, Mason Junior High, and graduated from Stadium High School in 1949. He was a proud starting forward on the varsity ice hockey team during its brief run as a school sport.

Charlie continued his education at the College of Puget Sound (now University of Puget Sound), where he joined the Kappa Sigma fraternity and served as pledge class president. He graduated in 1953 and married Marilyn Marie Quam on July 31, 1954, at Tacoma's First Congregational Church-a loving union that spanned over 70 years.

Commissioned into the U.S. Air Force in 1954, Charlie served as a supply officer at Blaine Air Force Station in Birch Bay, Washington. Following his military service, he pursued law at UC Berkeley and the University of Washington, graduating in 1960. He found his calling in water and environmental law, inspired by professors Sho Sato and Ralph Johnson.

Charlie's career with the Washington State Attorney General's Office included leading the Water & Related Resources Section and helping establish the Department of Ecology. He played a central role in drafting the Shoreline Management Act. In 1990, he joined Perkins Coie and continued practicing law until 2008, later consulting into his late 80s.

He served in all three branches of state government and taught at several universities. A dedicated civic leader, Charlie contributed to numerous organizations and commissions throughout his life.

Charlie is survived by his wife Marilyn; daughters Sharon Roe (Gerard DeGroot) and Jeannine Roe; grandchildren Allison Dellwo (Casey Meehan), Julia Bloom (Benjamin Davis-Bloom), Natalie DeGroot, and Joshua DeGroot; great-grandchildren Parker and Sophie Bloom, Adeline and Eloise Meehan; brother Harding Roe (Cristina); nieces Juliana Roe and Catherine Johnson; and nephew Thomas Charles "T.C." Roe.

A funeral service will be held on November 8 at 3 p.m. at United Churches of Olympia, followed by a reception at South Sound Manor, 455 North Street SE, Olympia. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Olympia Historical Society or Olympia Ecosystems.