I got the sad news last night after my church prayer meeting. In an email for the Achievers club from Patti Thor, I got word that our loyal club member, Charlie Wilson, passed away from a brain aneurysm.
The loss of a longtime Toastmaster, district leader, and mentor is big for District 13. Charlie Wilson was always a regular at the speech contests, advancing to the District finals every time. You always learned something from Charlie every time you saw him. He also advanced all the way to the World Championship of Public Speaking.
Charlie was a two time District Governor (in the mid 1990’s and early 2000’s). Mike Dalton, another longtime Toastmaster and faithful Greensburg member, was great friends with Wilson. Both served in the District Trio at one point. I also had the opportunity to serve in the Achievers club with Charlie. Both him and Mike had a wealth of knowledge to share with us in their long Toastmasters journeys. Mike will celebrate his 30th anniversary in Toastmasters and in the Greensburg chapter this November.
Charlie was always proud of his Penn State education and was a fixture in State College. He represented multiple clubs in the area as well as in District 38, where he also competed in contests and served as a member in their respective clubs.
The passing of Charlie Wilson is devastating to District 13, State College, and even in theatre 🎭. He was involved in many plays in addition to his work in Toastmasters. Reading through the posts last night and this morning on Facebook, it looks he touched a lot of lives. There’s a picture of some of District 13’s finest from a past District Conference. Dan Rex is also in the picture. He was the keynote speaker that weekend. My heart goes out to Charlie’s family, especially his wife Caroline.
My best memory of Charlie was always running to him at the District events. Seeing him, Mike, as well as Calvin and Ruth Ray (in Toastmasters since 1976) together was like looking at the Greatest of All Time or a Who’s Who of Distinguished Toastmasters. I wish I’d have gotten the opportunity to run the DTM gauntlet with them this Spring.
There are many words to describe Charlie Wilson. All of them great. He was a class act who could uplift you, teach you a thing, or just make you laugh. He always made a big impression wherever he was. He had a positive impact on you from the first time he met you. His advice has rubbed off on other Toastmasters, like Dave Jones. His first speech contest, Dave was nervous and flustered. But Charlie calmed him down and told him to relax and enjoy the experience. That is a great example and one Dave now shares with the new contestants. Talk about paying it forward.
In conclusion, District 13 lost a legend yesterday.
Stylish 🍒 