I am shocked and saddened by the news. Charles was the first Flyertalker I met in real life, back when he was in college. While I wasn't sure what to make of the brash, know-it-all kid I met in the lounge at ORD, we stayed in touch afterward and I followed his post-college career and life with interest. One word you can not use in relation to Charles is "boring!" We connected here and there over the years and more frequently at various Dos in recent years. I appreciated his outgoing nature, his terrible jokes, and his passion for enjoying life to the fullest.

As a fellow lawyer, I followed his law school career and then practice with great interest. He joked a lot about his practice, but being a solo practitioner is a tough gig and I have deep admiration for him going that route. Not every case he took was life-changing for the client, but a good number of them were. He did a lot of good for a lot of people through his advocacy.

The world has lost one of the good guys.

My heart goes out to Charles' wife and daughter, his family, and all those who will miss his presence in their life. May his memory be a blessing.