Charles William Doane

1927 - 2022

A San Diego County native, he was born in National City on January 19, 1927.

He died on November 6, 2022, and was predeceased by his cherished bride of fifty-seven years, Rosie (2007), and his eldest daughter the Reverend Laurie Line (2020). He is survived by his daughter Debbie (Andy Attwood), and grandchildren Brandon Line, Rachel Line, and Jessie Patton.

The Dash:

As a child, Chuck explored Balboa Park during the 1935 Exposition which imprinted on him an enduring love for the park. Countless family photos were taken over the years with the park as the background.

He worked at the family business, Thompson Photo Service, from an early age, learning everything about it as he went. After graduating from Hoover High School in 1945, he served a brief stint in the Army, stationed in Korea. Afterwards, he returned to Thompson Photo, picking up where he left off.

He met and married Rosetta (Rosie), and they settled into family life, raising two daughters, Laurie and Debbie. Vacations were few and far between, but the family made it to Oklahoma to visit Rosie’s relatives, to Washington state to see a beloved cousin, and his favorite, to the Grand Canyon. There were numerous weekend drives, sometimes out to the desert or up to the mountains. He had a four-wheel-drive Bronco for a few years and enjoyed some “light” off-roading. Many of his off hours were spent on woodworking, a skill learned from one of his uncles who was a carpenter.

Eventually he sold the business to a competitor who had been covetously eyeing some of Thompson Photo’s accounts. So well-respected was he in the industry that the purchase agreement included a non-compete covenant, barring him from re-entering the business for five years.

Now in retirement, his woodworking picked up steam. He dabbled in toy-making, turning bowls, and any number of other creative projects including growing orchids, much to Rosie’s delight. Briefly, he worked for a couple of car dealerships, driving autos to the LA area or Imperial County, completing trades among dealers. On occasion he was the only driver available who could still handle a stick shift. It paid minimum wage but he enjoyed the driving, taking Rosie with him, stopping for lunch along the way.

He signed on as a volunteer at the San Diego Aerospace Museum. The museum had the original jig from Rohr Industries used to make the wing ribs for the Spirit of St. Louis. He and other volunteers crafted replica wing ribs to sell in the museum gift shop using the restored jig. He loved kibbitzing with the museum docents and chatting with school kids visiting the museum on field trips.

Chuck and Rosie traveled occasionally, making car trips to favorite places like Sedona, Arizona and the Pacific Northwest, frequently meeting up with his childhood friend Paul and his wife June. They were even game to occasionally accompany their daughters and grandkids to Disneyland.

Rosie began to have some health issues in the mid 2000’s. They were mostly just annoyances but shortly after their fifty-seventh wedding anniversary, she passed away, leaving a huge hole in Chuck’s heart. One of the things he dearly missed was her habit of ‘checking’ him before he left the house: straightening his collar, smoothing his hair (what was left of it, he said), and kissing him good-bye. He found some solace in continuing his work at the museum, growing the orchids she loved so much, and striking up friendships at church. He usually met the ‘boys’ for their weekly lunch bunch, enjoying their sermon reviews and sports talk.

Chuck’s health declined much more slowly. In some ways it was more agonizing to see this process creep onward than it was to endure Rosie’s sudden passing. His driving skills suffered and his daughters had a hard time convincing him to give up his car keys. In 2016 he fell and broke his hip, and the case was made. After an extended rehab, he returned home, with full-time caregivers. He continued to take pleasure in lunch dates, and enjoyed a lively 90th birthday celebration. Family holidays were celebrated at his house, as travel of any distance became more of a challenge.

The pandemic required even more adjustments, and everyone took special care to protect him from the virus. Unfortunately, in July of 2020, another emotional blow was dealt when his daughter Laurie passed away from complications of a rare form of dementia. He constantly questioned why he was ‘spared’ to continue living.

In October of 2022, a quick succession of health crises had him in and out of hospital, ultimately leading to hospice care. He died peacefully the afternoon of All Saints Sunday, November 6th.

We thank Sharp Hospice for their care and attention, and College Town Retirement Villa for their excellent staff and facility. In his last several years at home, he had a “core four” of regular caregivers, Graciela, Marja, Julie, and Olivia, who took the very best care of him as if he was their own family, and we couldn’t be more grateful. They made his last years as trouble-free as humanly possible.

A Celebration of Life will take place at Gethsemane Lutheran Church on Saturday, January 28, 2023, at 1pm. The church is located at 2696 Melbourne Drive, San Diego, CA, 92123, in the neighborhood of Serra Mesa up the hill from Snapdragon Stadium.