Charles Donald Gardemeyer

Charles D. “Charlie” Gardemeyer (1950 - 2016)

Charles "Charlie" Gardemeyer, 66, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, November 5th, in Chico, CA.

Charlie is survived by his wife Diane and three children, Laura (Steve) Sabahi, JD Gardemeyer and Nicole Gardemeyer as well as three grandchildren, Dylan, Elliana, and Graham. He is further survived by his brother, Dennis (Denice) Gardemeyer and his sisters, Diane (Rick) Hodges, Barbara (Ed) White and Gayle (Chuck) Testerman. Charlie was a loving father, grandfather, brother, uncle and a cherished friend to many. His love of friendship and family has left an indelible mark on those fortunate enough to have known him. Born in Palo Alto in 1950, and from less than lavish beginnings, Charlie worked his whole life, be it with his hands or his intellect, leading an inspired and accomplished life. The thoughtfulness, kindness, contemplative insight and good humor he was so well known for are a legacy unto themselves. He will be missed by many, and never forgotten. As a son of a carpenter, Charlie learned the lessons of hard work at a very early age. He, his father and brother built hundreds of fences in the Stockton area. They hung doors, windows and trim, built and installed cabinets, and built wooden boats – all before he was 16 years old. He always had a job, and often several jobs. He worked his way through high school and college yet he somehow found time to excel in baseball. Charlie was a star pitcher and loved to tell stories about playing semi-pro baseball. While pursuing a degree at Sacramento State College, one of his jobs was a forklift operator at Sacramento A-1 Door Company. Upon leaving college he started a small custom home construction company. Several years later Charlie teamed up with his brother Dennis, and built and developed apartment projects, residential subdivisions, office and industrial buildings. Charlie then chose to go back to his roots – carpentry - and founded Gardemeyer Finish Carpentry Company. Through dedication, hard work, innovation, charisma, charm, great humor and strong character, Charlie developed his namesake company into the largest finish carpentry company in California. He was immensely proud of his heritage as the son of a carpenter. Everyone that knew Charlie would attest to the fact that he was one of the few that literally could “walk his talk”. Charlie was as comfortable with a tool belt on out in the field as he was in a suit and tie in the boardroom. In 2011 Charlie put a small team together and formed an investment/ holding company, which he aptly named Heritage Interests, LLC. Soon thereafter Heritage Interests formed and funded several companies (Heritage One Door, Window and Carpentry) and acquired the principal assets of Sacramento A1 Door and Window Company. Over the past five years he grew these assets into now the largest pre-hung door company in California. Together these companies now employ in excess of 350 employees. Charlie loved to mentor his employees and as an “only in America” story he could honestly say that he started as a forklift operator and now owns and runs the company. Many see problems, Charlie saw solutions. When his industry was facing severe tort law problems, he became actively involved with a state-wide group of prominent industry leaders who were successful in the writing of and passing of legislation to reduce legal costs for builders, subcontractors and homeowners. When the state was facing a workers compensation insurance crisis in the subcontractor industry, Charlie immediately saw the value in joining with fellow subcontractors to become their own workers compensation association, which greatly benefits their workers as well as aid many companies throughout the state. Whether with family, friends, work associates or others that crossed Charlie’s path, Charlie had a truly exceptional way of creating a bond almost instantaneously. His story telling, humor and genuineness endeared Charlie as a friend to all that he met. The “Charlie chuckle” was a sure sign that Charlie was somewhere close spinning one of his tales and making someone else laugh. His passion for the finish carpentry industry was second to none. He was a consummate teacher and mentor. He believed that one of the most important skill sets to possess in this industry was the ability to attract and teach young people about finish carpentry, as well as about living life as a noble endeavor. He had his “Twenty Truths” that he created through his wisdom of experience, and they are truths that he lived and breathed every day. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, November 17th at The Cathedral of the Annunciation located at 400 Rose Street, Stockton CA. at 10:am For those wishing to remember Charlie, the family suggests contributions to Bread of Life, P.O. Box 446, Stockton, CA 95201.