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Charles Carlton Groffman was born in Chicago on January 15, 1923. Charles grew up in Manitowac, Wisconsin on the west side of Lake Michigan. His father owned and ran a successful apothecary in Manitowoc. His mother was, for a time a successful school teacher, and directed and produced plays. Probably of great influence was the German and Norwegian cultural heritage on his father's and mother's sides of the family. It is easy to imagine Norse mythology, Viking adventurous exploring, Germanic sense of order and artistic musical excellence being fundamental. He combined a great sense of humor with an intense curiosity of man's history and wild cultural variability around the world and across time, and the wonders of the natural world in which he lived. This helped to propel Charles into a long life that included much international and domestic travelling and exploring places; learning a smattering of foreign languages, and feeding a hunger for knowledge of new experiences and peoples and cultures. As a boy he liked adventures. He owned and sailed a small boat, preferring roughening weather, on Lake Michigan. Some friendships were maintained for a lifetime. He joined the Merchant Marine and sailed in the North Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, and the Eastern Pacific Ocean, then served in the Navy on a destroyer (the Twining) during WWII, protecting convoys crossing the treacherous North Atlantic. He married Lillian after the war, living in New Mexico, Wisconsin, and California, finally settling in Albuquerque in 1953. Eventually he and his wife earned degrees in education and both taught for the Albuquerque public schools. Both were successful and excellent teachers and helped many people along the way. They had four children. Charles also published educational film strips on subjects mainly having to do with life and industry in rural and small urban Mexico, the United States, and Canada. He also wrote children's books, submitted for but never published. He and his wife labored long and hard building and remodeling their adobe house near Old Town. Divorced in the early 1970's, he then lived in the North Valley. He continued to enjoy some great neighbors and an eclectic array of friends, read books, enjoyed listening to different kinds of music, the company of old friends, artists and musicians and educators, collected stamps and enjoyed going to club meetings and auctions, and sought interesting knowledge and stories. Deteriorating health made travel difficult, especially to a ranch property near Cuba where he loved to spend time. He was married once more for a time to Betty Colbert, a long time friend, and added two stepdaughters to his family. With the help of many people, Charles was able to stay out of nursing facilities and remain in his little gallery of a house until death. He is survived by his cat Pretzel, now living with a dear friend, and several children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, stepchildren, and his sister Jean. Charles died in Albuquerque on November 15, 2008 at home with Pretzel at his side, surrounded by many family members of several generations. Arrangements are in care of RIVERSIDE FUNERAL HOME OF ALBUQUERQUE 225 San Mateo Blvd. NE 764-9663
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