Charles Bartsch Obituary

I just found out that marvelous Charlie died. We were close friends in college, and I'll always remember French class because of his hysterical perspective on it and our professor. I am now so sorry I didn't drive down to see him honored in 2013 by NCC. I'm sure he's satirizing heave and making the angels laugh now. RIP.

We are so terribly sorry to have lost Charlie. What a dear, dear friend he was to us through these many years. Liz Conway and I met Charlie when we lived in DC and I worked with him at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. We left DC only a few years after that, but we stayed close to Charlie. He was my landing pad when I traveled for work to DC after signing on again with the Institute but living in Detroit and then Minneapolis. He was host to our family trips to Washington, insisting that the two of us and all three kids make his house our house, where we stayed up there in the attic every time we came. More recently, Liz and I tripped around DC and around the Twin Cities with Charlie, connecting almost every year to talk, laugh, eat, and drink. He was such a wonderful man with such a huge heart and such a great, infectious laugh. Truly a loss for us, and undoubtedly a gaping hole for his family his relatives by blood and those he was linked to by love alone. Well miss hearing the updates about nephew Jim, niece Donna, and Godchildren Todd and Brad. Farewell to you, Charlie. We were blessed to have known you.

I had the pleasure of bowling with Charlie for 8 years in a Tuesday night league. In addition to being a fabulous bowler, he was smart,funny, energetic, kind, and a friend to all who knew him. We always laughed and discussed politics, and were probably the only team in the league that huddled over our smart phones to get all Tuesday night election results. He was a bright spark and a ray of sunshine, and I will miss him dearly.

I'm deeply saddened by the news of Charles' passing. He was a wonderful and compassionate human being and his dedication to public service continues to inspire. He had a joyous energy that filled the room each time we met. My thoughts and prayers are with the Bartsch family and friends during this difficult time.

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. My deepest sympathy and condolences to the family during this time of grief. 1 Corinthians 15:26.

My sympathies for the family of Cha4rles Bartsch during this difficult time. May the promise at 1 Thessalonians 4:14 bring you comfort. There is a future in paradise on earth for ones we have lost in death.

I am sorry to hear of Charlie's passing. Charlie had a true passion for his work and unending love for friends and travel.

He was an inspiring mentor and colleague to me, whose enthusiasm made any job so much more fun. And he shared that enthusiasm for traveling. It was a regular part of his trips to ship back a trunk filled with local art from all points on the globe.

I was lucky enough to enjoy both work and personnel trips with him. I fondly remember him pushing us to get the most out of everything we did such as camping in the snow in Bryce Canyon, climbing a water fall in Puerto Rico, and driving nine hours to see a frozen Niagara Falls. I was always thrilled to watch him push himself to new heights.

Charlie, you will be missed by your friends and your family and by me.

Please accept my condolence, I was honored to work with Charlie during his tenure at the National Council for Urban Economic Development and again at Northeast- Midwest Institute. While we solved many of the world's problems over late night beverages, my fondest memories was taking my family (ages 11-16) to DC. Charlie was beyond a gracious host totally engaging and charming my three sons. It hurts that I had lost touch and even more that the world is a dimmer place without his bright and caring soul.
Tim Eckerle

I was privileged to work with Charlie Bartsch when I served on EPA's Environmental Finance Advisory Board from 2009-2016.

Charlie was a fount of wisdom on brownfields and on how to structure and finance their redevelopment. His knowledge was encyclopedic and he was an astute participant in the policy process from White House meetings to EPA programs to state and local initiatives.

I will remember Charlie as a thoroughly kind, decent and helpful person who never lost his desire to use government to make the world a better place. I believe that he epitomized thoughtful and intelligent public service, something that we see all too rarely today.

Charlie was generous in sharing his insights, and invariably did so with humor and patience. I am grateful to have had Charlie as a colleague and a friend, and will miss him. We are all the poorer for his loss.

"May the Lord of peace himself give you peace constantly in every way..." (2 Thessalonians 3:16)

May your memories of the wonderful times you shared with your loved one comfort you and your family, today and always.

My condolences to Mr. Bartsch family, and friends. May God comfort you and give you peace.

Please accept my sincerest condolences for your loss. I hope that words such as those found at John 6:40 bring you comfort at this difficult time. CR

So sorry for your loss. May you find comfort and hope in God's Word the Bible during this most difficult time.

Charlie,
As a friend of Carol's, it seems that we just met you but yet we've known you a long time. You are now with our heavenly Father free of pain and suffering. Thank you so much for letting us into your life and being so gracious in doing so.
Peace your friends,
Paul and Vicki

A Joyful Connector -- that's what one of Charlie's friends says about what Charlie was to many of us. Several years ago, Charlie was assigned as a Point of Contact for those of us around the country who are part of the federal Manufacturing Communities program. That descriptor didn't last long -- he was soon a BFF (Best Friend Forever). He connected our communities, helping turn competitor regions into partners. And he was always so joyful about it and so generous with his time. Last time he was in rural Oregon at a friend's place, our communities had a conference call. Now, he was no longer employed by EPA and had no obligation to continue working with us, or certainly not to interrupt his holiday to join the call, especially since the cell phone signal was so bad that he had to drive his car to find a place he could call from. We told him how much we appreciated his dedication and he laughed and sent us a photo of where he'd found to park his car on the edge of road overlooking the beautiful Oregon coast. If each person in the world were to add a little of Charlie's "Joyful Connector" spirit to our work and our lives, the world would be a much better place.

My condolences. Charlie you will be missed. R.i.p.

It had been way to long since I saw Charlie but just the mention of his name brought a smile to my face. I was saddened to hear of his passing and regret not staying in better contact. I will alway remember his enthusiasm for everything he did, his great laugh and smile, and love for his family and friends. Rest in Peace.

charlie -- my chicago homeboy, my fellow presidential management intern, my bowling teammate, my EPA colleague, my sharer of international travel stories and shopping bargains, my friend of 37 years -- there will never be another like you.

there are not enough superlatives to describe the man: brightest, kindest, funniest, most generous, most dedicated, completely unassuming and humble, joyful and optimistic. charlie was young beyond his years and had a passion for life in all of its aspects -- work, play, learning, friend and family relationships -- and ate every moment of it with gusto.

so fortunate are his nephews and nieces, those by blood and those by choice, to have benefitted from their time with uncle charlie. he spoke of you often and loved you dearly. such a shock and loss to all of us left behind who had the pleasure and privilege of knowing charlie in any of the myriad facets of his life.

wherever you are charlie....please pick up the "jb" split for me, willya pal?

In God's hands is the life of every living thing and the spirit of every human. May the words of Job 12:10 bring comfort to the family during this sad and difficult time.

I worked some with Charlie on Brownfields circa 2004-2007. Tremendous guy. Wise. And no ego. Then, when I was looking for a job back in 2015, Charlie was generous in meeting with me and sharing his thoughts. Nice guy. And he did some really important (and lasting) work. Saddened to see his obituary in the Post this morning.

Charlie was truly a joy to know. I will miss him.

Wishing you peace to bring comfort,courage to face the days ahead and loving memories to forever hold in your heart.

To the family, I'm so sorry for the loss of your love one, may the loving support of your family, friends and prayers sustain you through this very difficult time. 2nd. Theses. 2:16, 17

I went to grade school and high school with Charlie and he was as good a friend as any. Alphabetically, we always sat beside one another and he would always make me laugh and find humor to sustain us through class.
I'm saddened by his passing but I see that he has left a wonderful legacy to all of us.

My condolences to Charlie's family. I haven't seen him since our 10th high school reunion, but I remember so much from high school and the classes we shared. Prayers.

Thoughts and prayers with Charlie's family. I met Charlie in High School. He has filled my heart with so much joy. I will miss your smiling face and laughing eyes and all the good times. So glad that I was able to see him in December and get extra hugs. I already miss you. Rest in peace my friend until we meet again.

For over three decades I have know Charlie Bartsch. And from the minute that I met him, I was impressed with his midwestern friendliness, his intellect and his ability to deal with complex issues in very straightforward ways.

Charlie worked here at the International Economic Development Council when it was called the Council for Urban Economic Development. He was one of those people that we loved to say - Charlie worked here earlier in his career.

To say learning of his passing was a blow is an understatement. I looked forward to calling on Charlie for the foreseeable future to provide guidance to the economic development community/profession.

A trusted mentor and friend to many of us, we will miss Charlie and this is someone who left us far too early.

Sincerely,

Jeff Finkle

RIP Charlie.

Charlie cheerfully and energetically put the pieces together for a lot of us in the brownfields redevelopment field. It's for us to pick up the pieces from where he left off. Thank you for all you did for us "Charlie Brownfield".

Our condolences to loved Charlie. He will obviously be greatly missed by so many. May the God of all comfort help you all through this difficult time of grief.

A special life deserves a special tribute. Charlie was a leader in brownfields and his vision about making brownfield redevelopment work led to thousands of successful projects nationwide. He was a great writer and brought together all of the information about environmental laws, financing, and redevelopment together with clarity for us all as a brownfield roadmap. Charlie was a Phoenix Awards judge for many years and said that judging day was one of his favorite days of the year. We loved to have him host the Awards Ceremony because he was so excited about the projects. We appreciated his wisdom, enthusiasm and friendship.

I am sorry for the loss of your loved one. May the peace of God and the fond memories you cherish comfort and sustain you in your time of need.
-RM

Dear Charles you will be missed on Tuesdays Mix League. You were always a great to compete against. You truly were a great guy with a kind heart . You will be missed. May the good lord take great care of you. We will meet again on the other side!

I met Charlie in 1979 in DC - we were both part of this 2-year internship program called PMI - he had a job at HUD, I worked at DOJ. There were lots of social events and seminar type meetings we all went to - I met a lot of interesting and talented people. I never worked with Charlie - I only knew him through parties, cookouts, card games. He had many friends in common and I think everybody thought he was just the greatest guy. I only stayed in Washington 2 years but I was able to stay in contact with Charlie because of this big outdoor party my wife and I hosted every Memorial Day Weekend where we live in South Carolina. There 19 of these parties in the 20th century, then a couple more in 2004-2005. I think Charlie came to almost all of these. We loved seeing him every year, my other friends became his friends, the children of my friends grew up seeing Charlie every year and he was kind of like a "fun uncle" to them. He was always the life of the party - his enthusiasm was contagious, and he never met a stranger. We were honored he would drive over 400 miles to get here every year and by the fact that the party sometimes got mentioned in his "christmas letter" along with all his other trips around the world. To know him was to love him. I was lucky enough to see him a few months ago when he came to Charlotte (an hour away from us) for a conference and we were able to spend a few hours together in the little town of Waxhaw NC. The brewery was open and that's where we had our last beer together - over the years there had been quite a few, much of it homebrewed stuff I made for our annual party. I have struggled all day to make myself sit down and write something here - I was afraid it wouldn't be good enough or that I would break down crying. I want to say thanks to whoever it was in DC that introduced me to Charlie - maybe it was Mike or Carlton. I hate it that Charlie had to leave his job at EPA because of the 2016 election - we have to right that wrong. RIP Charlie - you were one of the good guys, a true friend, a true public servant - all of us who knew you were lucky and blessed.

Charlie, My best friend in elementary school...so hard to believe we won't see you in April, but you will be remembered then and never forgotten. You will be missed and I look forward to seeing you again.

Charlie, my husband Ervin's best friend during my husband's Washington days, was one of the brightest and life-affirming persons I have ever met. His joy in life, his generous spirit, I hope will continue to live with each of us who loved him. He made the world a much better place. What an honor to have known him!

Charlie, my lifelong friend....I cannot believe that you are gone. You were....and will always be.....a beacon of light and compassion in this confused world. I will so miss our visits, always full of laughter and fun. Shine bright, Etoile.....until we meet again.

It's very fitting that the government has closed down in honor of his passing, much as it would for a great President. One in a zillion. Charlie lived & breathed brownfield redevelopment....

Charlie Bartsch was a great friend and a mentor to me. Many years ago, I had been asked to produce and direct a documentary film series on Brownfields. Charlie was my greatest teacher, researcher and friend. He appeared in every episode offering his wisdom and experience. He understood Brownfields better than anyone I knew then or now. But, more than his professional expertise, Charlie was one of the most decent, good people I ever knew. He remained positive and hopeful and was a kind person. We spent time together on the road (once in Phoenix that remains a great memory) and he was funny and smart and just a great person. Few people combine passion for work and compassion for people the way he did.

Charlie leaves a void where there was a wealth of conversations, ideas and thoughts. He was generous with his time, ideas and connections. His enthusiasm knew no bounds.

I have known Charlie since the 80's when he was already one of The Washington Center's most popular instructors. He is among the elite academic-practitioners who could do public policy by day and translate it into meaningful subject matter in his evening classes. Fast-speaking and always cheerful, Charlie was really dedicated to his students and his profession. His passing is a heavy loss to the profession and to his past and current students.

Charlie's smarts and relentless enthusiasm brought joy to those of us lucky enough to have known and worked with him. A bright light has been extinguished far too soon.

Charlie was a joyful connector. Meetings with him were energizing, electric, and productive to boot. What a treat to get to work with him here at U.S. EPA and then to see him savoring life beyond. He left the world a better connected, more sustainable place, and we can honor his memory by being joyful connectors in this work he loved. Rest in peace, Charlie, and thank you.

Charlie you are "the best". You will be missed my friend. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family and friends.

What a shock ... and loss. The enthusiastic and thoughtful Charlie Bartsch will be missed. It was an honor, and education, to work with him.

Charlie was my brother by choice, a kindred spirit, passionate about all he did but always time for the best in life....travel, cards, bowling, his family and friends....now, there will always be a warm wind to his back and sunshine to his face, Forever and ever, Amen, Rocky

May God's loving kindness comfort you and help you through this very sad time
Psalms 29:11

Seeing this, I guess it is true that Charlie has passed! What a loss to us all. Such a sweet, honorable, charitable person, who contributed so much to his friends and family, and who fought hard in the trenches to restore our ailing urban centers. I sorely miss him already. he was my highly respected colleague at NEMWI, and a long friend.