Charles moved to Colorado and the Roaring Fork Valley in 1973. He was the Aspen sandal maker 73-75. He owned and operated a construction company until 1999 when he transitioned to Maui, Hi. While living on Maui he wrote Butterfly, The Journey From Loss To Recovery, A Guide to Transformation. He returned to Colorado in 2014 and lives in Carbondale. He is surrounded by the majesty of the Rocky Mountains, his son Jeremy, daughter in law Kate, grandson Wyatt and an incredible community. Charles is the founder of We are Designed to Heal.
” It all started with a phone call. I heard there has been an accident. Your son is dead and your wife is in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. Severe head injuries, in a coma and a brain operation left her still in a coma and deteriorating. Drowning in agony I terminated my wife’s’ life support systems. Leaving the hospital there was a sunset with perfect clouds, perfect light, perfect colors and it was ugly. In an instant my life had become ugly. Years later and having written a book, Butterfly, The journey from loss to recovery, I found myself wanting to bring forward a conversation in the community about the healing properties of grief. I had made the transition from ugly sunsets to being content with my life and the happiest I’d ever been. And, I took the experience of my wife and son dying with me every step of the way. We Are Designed To Heal was born from that experience. We are a volunteer grassroots organization. Our mission is to promote and encourage a community review of the cultural fabric that surrounds mental health. “