Charles W. King Jr. ’57

Charles W. King Jr. ’57 of Atherton, California, a loving father and grandfather and businessman, died in his sleep on August 3. He was born outside Chicago, where he attended New Trier High School. A gifted athlete, Chuck received the All-round High School Gymnastics Award for Illinois and the Midwest Amateur Athletic Union. At Dartmouth he majored in modified architecture, participated in gymnastics all four years, was a brother of Theta Delta Chi and earned an engineering degree from Thayer School. After college and completion of the U.S. Army critical skills program, Chuck ventured west to begin a career in real estate. He was involved in the development of 135 industrial and office buildings, mostly in the San Francisco Bay area, but including buildings in southern California, Illinois, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Taiwan and Thailand. He was cofounder, major shareholder and board chair of SteriGenics International, the world’s largest capacity gamma sterilizer of medical disposables and other products. He acquired a bankrupt record storage company and merged it with Filesafe Inc. to create the largest record storage company in northern California. Despite his high profile as a developer and entrepreneur, Chuck was intensely private and was happiest in the company of family and friends. Many loved him for his unique character. His fondest memories were of motorcycle trips to Sturgis, South Dakota, with his three children and a trip around the world with his wife, Debbie, who predeceased him.